MINDANAO ANTI-MINING CONFERENCE SUPPORTS CBCP POSITION, DECLARES 100 YEARS MINING MORATORIUM

By: Tito Natividad Fiel
Program Coordinator
DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues

Davao City- The Mindanao-wide Anti-Mining Conference held at Mindanao Training Resource Center (MTRC), Bajada expressed February 8 this year strong support the position of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for the repeal of the Republic Act 7942 issued on January 29.

Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (AFRIM), a research institution here sponsored the two full days affair where participated by 30 representatives from four Catholic ecclesiastical sub-regions allover Mindanao and produced a conference statement that stress support to CBCP.

Archdiocese of Davao, dioceses of Digos, Tagum and Mati (DADITAMA); archdiocese of Cagayan, dioceses of Bukidnon, Surigao, Tandag and Malaybalay (CABUSTAM); dioceses of Kidapawan, Marbel and archdiocese of Cotabato (KIDMACO); and the dioceses of Dipolog, prelature of Ipil, archdiocese of Ozamiz, dioceses of Pagadian, Iligan and prelature of Marawi (DIOPIM) through the DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI) actively participated the conference.

The conference statement described the law as does not protect the environment, the affected communities, especially the Indigenous People, and even violated the 1987 Philippine Constitution especially on the issue of National Patrimony.

"One of the unforgettable experiences was in Mt. Canatuan , Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte where their Ancestral Domain forcibly encroached and mined by TVI Resource Development Philippines (TVI), a Calgary Canada based mining firm that dislocating the legitimate Subanon of the domain", a statement alleged.

In addition to the Mt. Canatuan situation, the mining activities have affected the people at the mining area allover Zamboanga Peninsula , North-Central Mindanao , Caraga Regions and other parts of the island.

The statement has criticized the alleged deceitful claims of the Philippine Chamber of Mines and other groups supporting mining industries as venture to generate employment and means of living, because all these claims are false and act of deceptions.

"We do not believe the statement of Patrick Caoile, Treasurer of Philippine Mines Safety and Environment Association, published in print media on February 7 that only 29 Bishops opposed mining," statement said

The statement added that it was impossible that only 29 Bishops were actually opposed mining because their declaration was subjected to the CBCP plenary discussions before was released to the public on January 29.

"The conference statement added its call for 100 years mining moratorium in Mindanao and allover the country while in the absence of enabling laws to genuinely protect the people from any form of human rights violations and environmental destruction.

Few years after the enactment of R.A. 7942 known as Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the CBCP issued a sounds similar position that for the repeal of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and followed by another one on January 29.