Saturday, May 06, 2006
Bishops' group campaign v. mining act to continue
THE influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) remained firm on its stand to press on the scrapping of the Mining Act of 1995 and later introduced a "pro-people alternative" despite an ongoing review ordered by Malacañang of the proposed amendments to the controversial law.
Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez said they are not giving up hopes on the Arroyo administration's promise to revise the "controversial provisions" of the mining law, especially the terms on the granting of Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAA) to foreign companies.
"They are politicians and we have all the reasons to be skeptical about their actions," the bishop said in a press conference after leading a recent rally along with two other bishops against an Australian-backed mining firm in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
But he said they "will wait and see" if the government will make good with their promise.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reportedly agreed to study some possible amendments to the Mining Act during a dialogue on mining issues last March 10 with Bishops Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, Pedro Arigo of Puerto Princesa, Antonieto Cabajog of Surigao, Reynaldo Evangelista of Boac, Warlito Cahandig of Calapan, Archbishop Carmelo Morelos of Zamboanga and retired Jesuit Bishop Francisco Claver.
Among those who joined the dialogue were House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor and Socio-economic and Planning Director General Romulo Neri.
Gutierrez, who heads the CBCP's National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace, acknowledged that the Mining Act of 1995 has some "good provisions" but they were overtaken by the controversial terms on the FTAA and the perks it supposedly extends to foreign mining financiers.
"It fully liberalized mining in the country and especially allowed the foreigners to control our lands and do anything with them as they please," he said.
He reiterated the provisions that allowed foreign mining companies to control 100 percent of a mining venture through the FTAA, the tax holidays, and for allowing mining companies to charge all their expenses against the future income of the mining venture.
Citing the proposed large-scale copper and gold mining venture of the Sagittarius Mines Inc., which holds an FTAA with the government, Gutierrez said, the company was not just allowed to mine the area's minerals but supposedly "to control the area's watershed, enter into private properties, manage the timber and the surrounding communities." (Allen V. Estabillo)
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(May 1, 2006 issue)
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