“We had expected the Duterte administration to deal with the detrimental impact of largescale mining operations to people’s communities. We hope that he would embrace the legitimate demands of the people to immediately shut down these operations,” Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap said in a statement.
Hicap cited “the issue of Lumad minorities in Mindanao who were compelled to launch their annual national caravan towards Manila dubbed as Manilakbayan just to drumbeat their opposition of largescale mining operations in the island.”
He noted that “Lumad indigenous and farmers communities in Mindanao are affected by 48 large-scale mining operations of foreign corporations.”
“Twenty-three largescale mining corporations operate in Caraga region covering near 200,000 hectares of land, seven of which are directly controlled by foreign firms,” he also noted.
Hicap also reported that “ the operations of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Taganito Mining Corp., Cagdianao Mining Corp. and Hinatuan Mining Corp., all subsidiaries of Nickel Asia Corp., Nonoc Nickel Project in Nonoc island in Surigao del Norte and Marcventures Mining and Dev’t Corp. in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur.”
He also noted “the operations of the world’s largest mining company BHP-Billiton, with purchasing agreement with Platinum Group Metals Corp. (PGMC), in Surigao del Norte.”
“The operations of American corporations Apex Mining and St. Augustine Gold and Copper Ltd. (formerly Russel Mining Corp.) and Australian corporation Medusa Mining Corp. operate in Diwata Mountain Ranges of Agusan and Surigao provinces, in Compostela Valley and Pantaron Range in Davao and Bukidnon provinces for copper and gold,” he said.
Hicap also noted “the operations of Swiss corporation Glencore-Xstrata-Sagittarius Mines, Inc., in Socsargen for copper and gold as well as those of Australian corporation Indophil, with 37 percent equity of Xstrata-SMI operates in Tampakan, South Cotabato.”
Hicap also reported that Canadian corporation Toronto Ventures, Inc. Resource Dev’t operate in Zamboanga del Sur for copper and gold.
Anakpawis asserted that mining operations led to abuses against Lumad and farmer communities.
He cited some of the alleged abuses as the 43 cases of attack on schools, 18 of which were documented with fact sheets in southern Mindanao region, including cases of military encampments, red-tagging, threat, harassment and intimidation against teachers and students, forcible evacuation resulting to abandonment of the school and indiscriminate firing; the 27 cases of attack on schools, 11 of which were documented with fact sheets in Caraga region, including cases of burning of school building, red-tagging, threat, harassment and intimidation; the 17 cases of attack on schools in northern Mindanao region including a case of red-tagging; the 2 cases of attack on schools documented with fact sheets in Socsargen including cases of military encampments, red-tagging, threat, harassment and intimidation.
Anakpawis also urged Duterte to hold the Aquino administration responsible “for facilitating the entry and proliferation of the environment’s destruction.”
It also said that Mar Roxas, who lost in his presidential bid in the May 9 elections, “has stake in mining such as Lepanto, Philex and was a beneficiary of SR Metals Inc. (SRMI) which owned the private jet he used during his campaign. SRMI is owned by the Gutierrez brothers who are also partners with Liberal Party official Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice.”
“SRMI was charged with extracting more than what was allowed under a permit issued to it. The Supreme Court in 2014 upheld the closure order against SRMI’s mining operation in Tubay, Agusan del Norte but local reports said that it continues to operate up to this day using its alleged connections with the Liberal Party,” Anakpawis said.
“From August 2006 to September 2007, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Philippine Ports Authority reported that SRMI and its subsidiaries shipped out of Agusan to China 1.8 million tons of ore, worth P28 billion,” Anakpawis noted.
“Mining operations do not only destroy the environment, these are outright violations of the national patrimony and plunder of natural resources by foreign economies, hence, we have high hopes that Duterte could realize a real change on this issue,” Hicap said.
