Thursday, December 04, 2008 Trouble in Tampakan village far from over By Edwin G. Espejo
TAMPAKAN, South Cotabato -- Officials of Barangay Liberty in this town appeared unsatisfied over a mining firm's commitment to look into their demand for an agreement that would entitle them to community development assistance.
Liberty village chief Virgilio Lastima Sr. said in a dialogue at the mayor's office that officials of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) promised them a P300,000 community development assistance while the company still has to study their demand for a principal agreement.
Dr. Rolando Doria, SMI supervisor for government affairs, declined to issue any statement, saying he is not allowed to give any under new company policy.
Villagers of Barangay Liberty barricaded on November 17 the road leading to SMI's core farm in the area and its drill sites in the hinterlands of Tampakan after its officials reportedly ignored their demands for a dialogue.
The barricade was lifted after SMI officials agreed to hold a dialogue with the village officials.
Lastima earlier said they will again block the only access road of SMI to its drill sites in the villages of Tablu, Folu Bato and Danlag if the company fails to meet their demand.
The three barangays are reportedly receiving P3-million in community development fund from the company for hosting its mining development area.
Aside from the principal agreement, villagers are also demanding that they be given priority for jobs at the P15-million administrative building being constructed inside the eight-hectare core farm of SMI in their barangay.
Reporters tried to cover the dialogue between the village council and SMI officials but Tampakan Mayor Pedro Cagas barred them.
Cagas was still holding a conference with SMI officials long after Lastima and village council members left the town hall and could not be reached for comments.
There is, however, no assurance that the village will be covered by the final mining development area of the company.
They were reportedly told to wait until July 2009 when the company finalizes its feasibility studies.
Barangay Liberty is covered by the Financial Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted to Western Mining Company, which was sold to the Tampakan Mineral Resources Corporation (TMRC).
TMRC was later renamed Sagittarius Mines Inc. when the Australia-based Indpophil Resources NL joined the group in 2004.
In April last year, Xstrata Copper took over the management and operational control of SMI after it exercised its option in the company.
Xstrata Copper is a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Xstrata Plc. It is underwriting the ongoing pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, and has been using its financial assistance to wrest control over SMI.
SMI's FTAA covers 23,000 hectares of land cutting across the towns of Tampakan in South Cotabato, Kiblawan in Davao del Sur, and Columbio in Sultan Kudarat.
