Somebody handed me a Press Release a while ago from Fr. Edwin Gariguez of the Mangyan Mission of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan and Mr. Jeff Rafa of Alyansa Laban sa Mina or ALAMIN entitled “Biggest Rally Stops Public Hearing for Intex Resources” and here’s its big chop that I want to share:
Pola, Oriental Mindoro (May 14, 2009) – A public hearing for the proposed Mindoro Nickel Project of Intex Resources, Philippines, Inc. planned in Pola, Oriental Mindoro was not able to even start due to the intervention of the Provincial Legal Officer, Atty. Lorabelle M. Tanyag, Vice Governor Estela Alarcon and a crowd of officials from the local government units (LGUs) including the municipal mayors Alfredo Ortega of Victoria Oriental Mindoro, and Godofredo Mintu of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, serving the Cease and Desist Order imposing the mining moratorium of the province together with the environmentalists and priests.
Atty. Tanyag, in her letter addressed to Mr. Julian D. Amador, Director of Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Natural Resources (DENR), manifested the Provincial Government’s “non-negotiable and irrevocable opposition against all forms of mining activities,” as provided in the Section 3 of the Provincial Ordinance No. 001-2002. The Cease and Desist Order states that the intended public hearing is considered as an act preparatory to mining activity, and therefore prohibited act under the ordinance.
Representative from Intex Resources tried to disregard the order by defending the legal mandate of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, as prescribed by P.D. 1586, and DENR AO No. 30 Series of 2003, governing the said activity.
However, the LGU representatives, the big crowd that have gathered from different towns, holding anti-mining placards streamers have prevailed. The pro-mining supporters of the project that were already seated waiting for the hearing to start were caught flatfooted by surprise.
The anti-mining delegation came in a caravan of vehicles, deemed by many as the longest ever in the history of the province. The total number of vehicles, according to estimate of Philippine National Police (PNP), numbered to about 200 with almost 7,000 anti-mining people in attendance.
Calling the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro,-our governor, and legislators, please legislate and enact a province-wide moratorium on all forms of mining so we could issue the same Cease and Desist Order. Just like the one issued by your counterparts in the other half of our beloved island. Please.
So that like Vice-Governor Estela Aceron, we could fearlessly declare: “We are ready to go at all cause to implement and enforce our moratorium ordinance against mining,”. And if our neighbors can, why can’t we?…
Kasi kayo na taga Catholic Church, exclusive lang mga pagtitipon nyo sa mga anti-mining activities. Ni hindi man lang kayo mag-imbita sa ibang mga simbahan o sektor,kaya akala ng marami ang mga anti-mining na gawain ay para lamang sa mga taga Simbahang Katoliko. Bakit kaya hindi kayo manawagan sa iba pang mga grupo, para naman madagdagan ang bilang natin? Sa mga sermon, ni hindi man lang mai-angkla ng mga kaparian ang sitwasyon natin sa Mindoro sa ebanghelyo.
ReplyDeleteAlam mo naman dito sa Mindoro,na mas marami ang katoliko, naghihintay pa rin ang mga tao ng akay ng Mabuting Pastol na tulad ng Obispo.
Dear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteHindi eksklusibo ang naging pagkilos na iyon sa Pola. Multi-sectoral ito at may mga kasama ring mga mainstream protestant groups sa Oriental ang sumama dito na miyembro ng ALAMIN o Alyansa Laban sa Mina. Nagkataon na galing lang sa Mngayan Mission ng Bikaryato ng Calapan ang pinagmulan ng press statement.
May mga gagawing kagayang pagkilos sa susunod na linggo dito sa Occidental Mindoro. Hindi ang Simbahang Katoliko lamang ang nagtutulak nito. Kung ibig nilang sumali o i-rehistro ang kanilang pagtutol, pwede siguro silang makipag-ugnayan sa mga organisasyong kagaya ng KAAGAPAY at mga pamahalaang lokal ng Sablayan at Abra de Ilog.
Kitakits tayo sa Mamburao sa May 27, sana ay naroon ang lahat ng sekta ng relihiyon na maninindigan ng kanilang tayong kontra mina na naka-batay sa Mabuting Balita.
Salamat ng marami...
hope dat d anti mining actvty prtcpants will not b hrrased by d police and d afp, jst like the npa r not harrasing d pipol from intex in der activties, dude.
ReplyDelete-Mindoro Turk
Tanong ko lang, what time start at saan mag-kikita kita?gusto ko sumama eh.
ReplyDeleteDear Turk:
ReplyDeleteSo your back (to school).Thanks for the comment...
Dear Eunice:
I'll tag you along. Text lang kita for the details. Thanks...
What is the issue to Ulysses Javier?give me some info pls.....before he is with the Villarosas,what happened now
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteAn election protest filed by Mr. Bernabe Macaraig who also run but lost in the last barangay election. I think the question raised in court was Javier's residency as qualification to be a candidate then. It seems that the MTC favored the protest pero hindi si Mr. Macaraig ang nakinabang dito kundi si Kagawad Coco Mendiola nga dahil ang ginamit na rule dito was the rule of succession ng Local Government Code. I do not want to talk here the merit of the case.
As you have said it was BEFORE. Now he's with the Sato group. What happened? No comment ako diyan. Salamat sa pagbisita...
-Norman
SO it means both from Sato are fighting for one position right?as far as i know Macaraig is alro fron sato group.....huh!politics in Mindoro!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThat was BEFORE. Macaraig is NOW, I think, is no longer with the present governor...
-Norman