Lawmaker backs Duterte vs destructive mining
BAGUIO CITY – Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. now backs president-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s hardline stance against the mining industry’s destructive ways in Mindanao.
The former chairman of the House of Representatives committee on indigenous peoples said mining has caused mountains to be flattened, rivers to be polluted and communities to be displaced.
“It is also the reason why many lumads who oppose the destruction of their ancestral lands are being killed,” he said.
“I used to conduct hearings on killings of lumads. I fought for indigenous peoples’ rights and against the degradation of their environment. During the hearings, it was observed that most of the time, the root cause of the violence is mining.”
Duterte’s pronouncement that big mining in Mindanao has to stop came during his thanksgiving party last Saturday.
“Mining people must shape up,” he said.
“Most of what you do today, especially in Surigao, is dig holes. And they are destroying Mindanao.
“Under the current mining regime, ecosystems are being destroyed, indigenous peoples are being driven away from their homes, mountains of ore are being shipped overseas with little regulation and taxation and the victim has been Mindanao, as well as other mining areas such as parts of the Cordillera.”
He hopes that he will be able to work with the Duterte administration to pass in the 17th Congress a new mining law – the Minerals Management Law – which seeks to better regulate the mining industry.
“I hope that whoever the military guy who will be appointed as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which oversees the mining industry, will ensure that the state forces will protect the communities and our national interest, not just that of the mining companies,” he said.
Baguilat said a number of large-scale mining operations are going on in Mindanao, such as open-pit nickel mining operations, and it would take political will as well as acts of Congress to put an end to destructive methods.
He also called on the incoming administration to look into the operations of small-scale miners, as their operations are rarely regulated and may be large- scale operations in disguise.
Meanwhile, Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap is elated over Duterte’s warning to mining companies to “shape up” or face closure.
“We had expected the Duterte administration to deal with the detrimental impact of large-scale mining operations to people’s communities,” he said.
“We hope that he would embrace the legitimate demands of the people to immediately shut down these operations.” In a statement, Hicap said
lumad minorities in Mindanao were compelled to launch their annual national caravan towards Manila, Manilakbayan to drumbeat their opposition to largescale mining operations in the island.
“Lumad indigenous and farmers communities in Mindanao are affected by 48 large- scale mining operations of foreign corporations,” he said.
“Twenty-three large-scale mining corporations operate in Caraga region covering nearly 200,000 hectares of land, seven of which are directly controlled by foreign firms.”
Hicap said Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.-Taganito Mining Corp., Cagdianao Mining Corp. and Hinatuan Mining Corp., all subsidiaries of Nickel Asia Corp., Nonoc Nickel Project operate in Nonoc island in Surigao del Norte and Marcventures Mining and Development Corp. in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur.
“The operations of the world’s largest mining company BHP-Billiton, with purchasing agreement with Platinum Group Metals Corp., in Surigao del Norte,” he said.
“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.”
Hicap said Swiss corporation Glencore- Xstrata- Sagittarius Mines Inc. operates in Socksargen for copper and gold as well as those of Australian corporation Indophil, with 37 percent equity of Xstrata-SMI operates in Tampakan, South Cotabato. Canadian corporation Toronto Ventures Inc. Resource Development operates in Zamboanga del Sur for copper and gold, he added. Hicap said mining operations led to abuses against lumad and farmer communities.