Press Release
March 22, 2012
Small scale miners: We will not give up Pantukan
Burn effigy, US flag
Pantukan, ComVal – An effigy of a huge bulldozer and a U.S. flag marked with the logo of Russell Mines – St. Augustine was burned down along the Pantukan National highway, near Kingking Bridge, amidst the calls for right to livelihood, right to patrimony by small scale miners, farmers and indigenous folks.
The more than 2,000 strong delegation mostly coming from Diat 1 – 3, Panganason, Gumayan, Boringot and Post 4, culminated their 3-day camp-out – protest today with the promise that they will not give – up Pantukan.
“US-Canada’s mining giants guarded by P-Noy’s mining militias have come to displace us economically and physically from our source of living, our home, the only way we know how to live. But Davids as we are, we will surely win because we stand united. We can fight their bulldozers and rifles like our Mandaya ancestors fought the colonizers,” said Omar Gudo in the vernacular, chairperson of the Federation of Small Scale Miners of Compostela Valley (FSSMCV).
The SSM said although they understand the geohazards in some areas in Pantukan, they do not believe that all areas must be closed for small scale operations. The SSM insists the order is due to the Aquino government’s bias for large scale and foreign miners.
Meanwhile, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said mining operations by US, Canada Australia and China will worsen the land problem and will affect the food produce from ComVal and Davao Oriental.
“Farmers too will be affected with the largescale and open pit mining method of Russell Mines – St. Augustine. Farmers’ communities surrounding Pantukan such as those in Mabini, and Maragusan in ComVal and Lupon in Davao Oriental, are also affected by this huge mining operation in Kingking,” said Pedro Arnado in the vernacular, chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
For instance, Arnado cited the case of China’s Skynix Holdings which operates in 7,776 hectares in Pantukan and Maragusan through the MPSA of Oro East Mining Company.
“The operation of Oro East – Skynix will affect the Sumlog River and the supposedly – protected Sumlog Watershed which provides water to the vast farmlands in Banay-banay which is one of the few remaining source of ‘rice’ in the region. So, the fight in Pantukan against open pit and foreign mining plunder by the US, Canada and China is supported by the farmers,” said Arnado.
“Largescale and foreign mining is landgrabbing where TNCs can own 100% up to 80,000 hectares of land while the government acts as the dealer. This means farmers and indigenous peoples are disenfranchised of their innate rights to land, which is supposed to be used for local food production of palay, mais etc so we will no longer have to import rice,” said Arnado.
Environmental group PANALIPDAN – SMR said the pro-foreign and unconstitutional Philippine Mining Act of 1995, must be scrapped in order to stop the ‘legalized’ influx of foreign mining TNCs in the country.
“We have to strengthen the peoples’ movements nationwide for the passage of the Peoples’ Mining Bill (PMB) which ensures a pro-people, domestic-needs based, local mining industry that will pave the way for national industrialization. We want profits from nationalized mining to lead to more sustainable economic base through genuine agrarian reform. And this is the only bill that carries this agenda,” said Francis Morales, secretary general of PANALIPDAN – SMR.
Morales added, “P-Noy’s new Mining E.O only means the government will levy more tax for the mining taxes. It does not have any significant difference from the current pro-foreign mining law.”
The PMB, authored by Rep. Teddy Casino of the Bayan Muna Party list, has gone through the 1st reading in the Lower House.#
Leaders from the Pantukan Site of Struggle, for reference:
Omar Gudo
Chairperson, FSSMCV
Pedro Arnado
Chairperson, KMP – SMR
Francis Morales
Secretary General, PANALIPDAN
More photos at arkibongbayan.org.
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