Thursday, November 06, 2008 International group protests mining in Macambol By Ben O. Tesiorna
INTERNATIONAL group Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod) protested the alleged irregularities committed by the two mining companies in their mining operation in the City of Mati.
The protest action was conducted in United Kingdom last week and a launching of its report is set in Davao City on Thursday.
In its report entitled "Kept in the Dark", Cafod accused BHP-Billiton and its estranged local partner, Asiaticus Management Corporation (Amcor), of committing errors in getting their Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) from the indigenous community in Barangay Macambol, where the mining area is located.
"The process between 2001/08 to secure approval for the project from Macambol's indigenous peoples, as required under Philippine law, was so seriously flawed that it cannot be considered valid.
The authority of the indigenous leader who gave consent for mining is in question.
This indigenous leader was allegedly on the payroll of Amcor, BHP-Billiton's joint venture partner.
Individuals were prevented from speaking out and some indigenous groups known to oppose mining were deliberately excluded from the process," the report stated.
The report also accused Amcor of bribing local community leaders and government officials to get support for the mining project and silence opposition to mining.
"Amcor and Philippine government officials allegedly offered bribes to community leaders to buy support for the project and to silence opposition to mining. BHP-Billiton's code of business conduct, which applies to all of its joint venture partners, strictly prohibits bribery. Cafod has no evidence to suggest the BHP-Billiton staff were involved, but believes that the company has a responsibility to ensure partners and contractors it has chosen to work with do not partake in bribery or corruption. On the basis of this research, Cafod believes that BHP-Billiton has applied insufficient due diligence over its joint venture partner Amcor," it said.
Macambol Mandaya leader Rufino Mapinogos, meanwhile, denied any bribery made by Amcor to his community. He said what the Filipino-owned corporation gave the lumads in Macambol were programs and projects that are part of the company’s social responsibility.
"Para kanamo, dili bribery ang pagtabang kanamo aron makasustiner, ma-organisar ang katawhan. Dawat namo ang responsableng pagmina. Gitudlo na kanamo sa among partner nga local mining company ang mamahimong ilang buhaton kun ugaling makasugod na ang operation (Helping us sustain the livelihood and organize our people is not bribery. We support responsible mining. The local mining company has briefed us on what it intends to do once operation starts)," Mapinogos said.
Cafod said that BHP-Billiton has also failed to give people sufficient information about the project and all of its potential impacts.
"BHP-Billiton has failed to give people sufficient information about the project and all of its potential impacts. The community is not well informed and has not had access to independent analysis of the social and environmental impacts of mining. This has limited people's ability to make an informed decision. The reality of life below the poverty line has left people easily swayed by hope of work and promises of community development assistance from BHP Billiton, without evaluating the longer-term impacts of mining on their future livelihoods and the environment that supports them," the report said.
Lastly, Cafod said the project's potential dangers to the environment and to local livelihoods are undeniable.
"The Hallmark project falls between two nationally designated protected areas: Pujada Bay and the Mount Hamiguitan wildlife sanctuary. Mining development in this area of rare and endangered species, including the Philippine Eagle, could lead to irreversible loss of biodiversity," it said.
"Mining could lead to increased soil erosion, landslides and flashfloods. Pollution from mine waste or chemicals could endanger the livelihoods of the 65,000 people from communities that border Pujada Bay," the report added.
The group said that making things worse is the fact that the Philippine government agencies responsible for monitoring the environmental impacts of mining are "under-resourced and lack independence."
Mines and Geosciences Bureau chief for Southern Mindanao Edilberto Arreza meantime described as premature the demand for the mining companies doing exploration in Mati City to make public their environmental protection program.
Arreza said that since the mining companies are still in exploration stage, they have not yet submitted any environment protection plan before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He said the environment protection plan will only be submitted after the exploration stage and once the company fully decides to mine the area.
"Still premature pa for them to judge or comment that the environment will be destroyed," Arreza said.
