Jamby slams GMA mining plan 06-03-12

	NORDIS WEEKLY March 12, 2006
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Jamby slams GMA mining plan
*Jamby claims Malacañang seal in all mining corp* BAGUIO CITY (March 8) — Senator Jamby Madrigal this week slammed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) for her staunch sellout of indigenous peoples’ (IP) ancestral lands advocating aggressive entry of large mining projects. “Mines kill people, much more in the case of indigenous peoples whose lives are intertwined with their (ancestral) lands. Simple lang naman ang IPs eh. (IP’s are but simple) They live with the land and take care of it,” the senator said in a forum on women and civil liberties in UP Baguio on International Working Women’s Day. She went on to criticize GMA for the land grabbing schemes her administration imposes through big mining projects. “All mining corporations have the seal of Malacañang. In fact, I have personally seen GMA’s order on the immediate resumption of Lafayette’s operations,” she said. Oil spill from Lafayette’s operations has been polluting the coastal areas of Sorsogon province, resulting in the wanton death of marine life, according to the community folk in this Bicol province. Lafayette’s operations were temporarily shut due to these incidents. Madrigal revealed that some 5,400 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) were approved in only six months under former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Mike Defensor, adding that it normally takes around 20 years to process such a volume. “One MPSA would cost around P10 million, so you could imagine how much they must have gained from all that,” she remarked. Madrigal recognized that 60% of Cordillera IP lands are applied for by various mining applications. Aside from the Senate Committee on Women and Youth, Madrigal also heads the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities. Earlier, the regional IP organization Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) lauded the CBCP and Madrigal for their separate statements calling on government to repeal the Mining Act of 1995 and to cancel all mining permits. CPA Chairperson Joan Carling said that the conference also aims to show appreciation and solidarity with the CBCP statement and hopefully to build partnership with them. The mining conference steering committee is composed of PHILDRRA, Legal Rights Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, AnthroWatch, Kasapi, Haribon, Forum for Philippine Environment, Assisi Foundation, and the CPA. # A.T. Bengwayan for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
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	NORDIS WEEKLY March 12, 2006
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Jamby slams GMA mining plan
*Jamby claims Malacañang seal in all mining corp* BAGUIO CITY (March 8) — Senator Jamby Madrigal this week slammed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) for her staunch sellout of indigenous peoples’ (IP) ancestral lands advocating aggressive entry of large mining projects. “Mines kill people, much more in the case of indigenous peoples whose lives are intertwined with their (ancestral) lands. Simple lang naman ang IPs eh. (IP’s are but simple) They live with the land and take care of it,” the senator said in a forum on women and civil liberties in UP Baguio on International Working Women’s Day. She went on to criticize GMA for the land grabbing schemes her administration imposes through big mining projects. “All mining corporations have the seal of Malacañang. In fact, I have personally seen GMA’s order on the immediate resumption of Lafayette’s operations,” she said. Oil spill from Lafayette’s operations has been polluting the coastal areas of Sorsogon province, resulting in the wanton death of marine life, according to the community folk in this Bicol province. Lafayette’s operations were temporarily shut due to these incidents. Madrigal revealed that some 5,400 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) were approved in only six months under former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Mike Defensor, adding that it normally takes around 20 years to process such a volume. “One MPSA would cost around P10 million, so you could imagine how much they must have gained from all that,” she remarked. Madrigal recognized that 60% of Cordillera IP lands are applied for by various mining applications. Aside from the Senate Committee on Women and Youth, Madrigal also heads the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities. Earlier, the regional IP organization Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) lauded the CBCP and Madrigal for their separate statements calling on government to repeal the Mining Act of 1995 and to cancel all mining permits. CPA Chairperson Joan Carling said that the conference also aims to show appreciation and solidarity with the CBCP statement and hopefully to build partnership with them. The mining conference steering committee is composed of PHILDRRA, Legal Rights Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, AnthroWatch, Kasapi, Haribon, Forum for Philippine Environment, Assisi Foundation, and the CPA. # A.T. Bengwayan for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
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