Stand up against large-scale mining, poll candidates urged

The next President of the Philippines must discontinue the Aquino administration’s mining liberalization policy that has resulted in destruction, poverty and armed attacks on mining-affected areas and done little for the economy, the local think tank IBON has said. 

Presidential candidates need to take a pro-people stance and oppose large-scale mining in the country, said research group IBON. They need to stand against the country’s mining liberalization policy, which has resulted in destruction, poverty and attacks on mining-affected areas and done little for the economy, the group said.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines recently expressed hopes for a mining rebound in 2016 because of the seemingly “mining-friendly” roster of presidential candidates. The chamber has expressed preference for a president who would uphold the Mining Act of 1995 and ensure the benefits of mining investors.

The Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce, joining the CMP, said the country needed a president who would ensure pro-big business reforms in priority sectors, among which is mining.

IBON urged the “presidentiables” to shun this “mining-friendliness” as it would also mean the escalation of harassment and killings in communities resisting large-scale mining.

In Compostela Valley, according to IBON data, Lumad leader Teresita Navacilla and resident Jennifer Albacite who were active in opposing large-scale mining operations in their communities were killed in recent weeks. Army soldiers from the 46th and 71st Infantry Battalions reportedly went on a shooting spree and bombed communities in Barangay Kingking, Pantukan, killing and wounding several civilians. Despite community opposition, President Aquino recently approved the Kingking Copper and Gold Project of the Nationwide Development Corp. (Nadecor) and Canadian-owned St. Augustine Gold and Copper Limited.

In Sta. Cruz, Zambales, police were reportedly harassing the protesting town residents and already arrested three villagers. The residents recently barricaded their villages to prevent the trucks of mining companies from hauling nickel to port.

IBON also reminded the presidential candidates that under the “responsible mining” policies of previous administrations, there were 19 major large-scale mining disasters across the country. The biggest disaster (in terms of volume of toxic tailings) occurred under the current Aquino administration when Philex Mining Company dumped 20.6 million metric tons of mine tailings into the Balog River. The industry only contributed an annual average of 0.4 percent of total employment from 1997-2014 and 0.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 1998-2014.

IBON said mining liberalization has brought the world’s biggest mining companies with their local partners into the country “with disastrous results.”

“The 2016 elections present an opportunity for presidential hopefuls genuinely concerned with national development and industrialization to rethink the country’s mining liberalization policy,” IBON said.