|
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Columbio residents hail SC move on mining
By Bong S. Sarmiento
COLUMBIO, Sultan Kudarat -- Some two thousand people in this sleepy but agriculturally rich municipality gathered Saturday to commend the recent Supreme Court decision declaring several provisions of the 1995 Mining Act unconstitutional.
Through cultural presentations, the Christian, Muslim and B'laan residents here strongly urged President Arroyo to implement the order of the High Tribunal against the Tampakan Mineral Resources Corp. (TMRC), a mining firm jointly owned by local and foreign companies.
Amid the sweltering heat of the sun, the residents bearing placards also marched around the town to hail the ruling.
In urging the president to stop the mining operations of TMRC, the residents cited the January 27 SC decision voiding of the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted to the Western Mining Corp. Philippines.
More than a year ago, the Arroyo government, through the recommendation of then Environment secretary Heherson Alvarez, approved the transfer of the 30,490-hectare Columbio FTAA rights from WMC to TMRC.
The 30,490-hectare Columbio FTAA just forms part of the FTAA permit the Ramos administration granted to the WMC in March 22, 1995, which involves the exploration of 99,397-hectare land area within the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.
Speaking before the crowd at the municipal gymnasium here, Audie Itable, chairman of the Columbio Multi-Sectoral Ecology Movement (CMEM), also urged the TMRC to respect the decision of the Supreme Court and immediately stop its operation.
TMRC officials, however, remained unperturbed and said an appeal to clarify the SC decision will be filed by the company.
Based on records from the Legal Rights and Natural Resource Center Inc-Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KsK), which provides legal counsel to the anti-mining advocates, the FTAA assumed by TRMC from WMC was nullified by the Supreme Court last January 27.
With this, the firm has still 15 days to file for a motion for reconsideration before the Supreme Court, after which the ruling would be final and executory.
France Begonia, LRC-KSK, acting executive director, said TMRC, following the High Tribunal's nullification of WMC's FTAA, is presently operating illegally.
"TMRC now has no legal rights to operate because of the Supreme Court decision, although they still can file for a motion for reconsideration," she said in an interview during the sidelines.
Earlier, Tampakan Mayor Claudius Barroso, whose family and relatives own shares at TMRC, played down the impact of the decision on the operations of the firm.
"We think the [Supreme Court] ruling has no substantial bearing on the operations of TMRC. Besides, the company has already been 60 percent Filipino-owned, even before the ruling came out. They [TMRC] might have to make some adjustments in terms of the legal requirements, but they are already essentially in compliance with the ruling," Barroso stressed in a media statement.
CMEM chairman Itable vowed they would continue the battle against mining despite the already favorable decision granted on them by the High Tribunal, on the grounds that TMRC has still available legal options it can exhaust.
"For the sake of the future generation, let us not be complacent. Let us remain vigilant to preserve our environment from the destructive effects of mining. Let us not allow the Marcopper incident to rear its ugly head here," he said.
(February 10, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
