By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Members of the Beaconsfield Initiative, an exposure mission comprising mostly of Canadian church members visited the Cordillera Region especially in the areas where there are Canadian Mining Companies said that there is an ongoing “legal terrorism” victimizing the community people.

Reverend Patricia Lisson, Directress of the St. Columbia House said that “legal terrorism” means that the law is being used over the rights of the people. This is being done she said to favor the big corporations and investors while the community is at stake.

She said this as they observed that the rights of the communities over their land where they visited are being set aside to pave way for the entrance of big corporate mining.

“These are matters of disempowering the people,” Lisson said.

The Beaconsfield Initiative is a joint effort of members of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), the Regional Ecumenical Council of the Cordillera (Reccord) and the United Church of Canada (UCC). The trip was between January 2 and 12, 2012.

The said mission aimed to evaluate the impacts of mining activities of Canadian Large-scale mining companies on the lives of indigenous peoples (IPs) in the Cordillera region. And, also for the Beaconsfield Initiative to establish long-term covenants of church congregations here in the Cordilleras and the ministry sites in Canada.

The group visited mining areas in Mankayan, Benguet, Sallapadan and Tubo in Abra and Cervantes in Ilocos Sur.

According to the Beaconsfield Initiative, the region of the Cordillera is one of the mining hotspots in the country. Of the 63 mining priority projects under the present administration of President Benigno Aquino III that are located in the region, there are six Canadian mining companies that are located in the provinces of Benguet and Abra. These mining companies, the group said are located in the ancestral domains of the IPs of the Cordillera.

In a joint statement, the NCCP, CHRA and the CPA mentioned that as an implementation of President’s Aquino approval of a proposal by the Armed Forces of the Philippines that would allow large-scale mining firms to train Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary (SCAA), the 5th Infantry Division of the AFP is deployed in the region.

According to Tess Tesalona of the Canadian-based Center for Philippine Concerns and member of the mission, the presence of military detachments inside the communities are very disturbing.

She added that they saw that public places like the Barangay hall, day care centers, health centers and schools are being used as military camps. She also said that the areas they visited are covered by mining applications.

Tesalona said that they were concerned by the continued illegal detention of two community people in the municipality of Cervantes, Ilocos Sur. What is also more disturbing she said is the two are mentally challenged.

She also noted the case of James Balao who was abducted by state agents on September 17, 2008 remains missing to this day despite a court issued writ of amparo. Balao is a founding member of CPA and staunch defender of people’s rights.

Rev. Marie Claude Manga, a UCC minister in St. Jean-Sur, Richeliu, Canada said that there is a presence of fear. Fear she said is sending the people to the mountains to defend their rights over their land just like their forefathers did. She added that because of fear of losing everything they have, they are ready to fight again for their existence against the mining explorations. The question, she said is why is the government not looking into these problems.

Rev. Dr. Bill Philips said from their visits, they will write a report based on their findings and views. The report he said will be used to develop church policy and will be introduce at he 41st UCC General Council in Ottawa, Canada this 2012.

He added that they will also submit and present this to the standing committees on Justice and Human Rights and Foreign Affairs and International Developments of the House of Commons of the Canadian Parliament.

“I hope that our government will listen to us and take some actions”, Philips said.

According to Lisson, they will popularize their findings among the people in Canada by holding round table discussions all over their country and present their report. From this, she said, they will draw a public opinion regarding the existence of Canadian mining firms here in the Cordillera and parts of the Philippines. And from there, she added, the Canadian people can put pressure on their government and Canadian mining companies to divest from their mining projects in the areas like the Cordillera. # nordis.net