Charges to Be Filed Vs LGU Officials in Lafayette MoA

Fr. Felino Bugauisan, assistant parish priest of Rapu-Rapu and chair of Sagip-Isla (Save the island), a multi-sectoral organization opposed to mining operations in the island off Legazpi City in Albay,  threatened to file charges against LGU officials who allegedly accepted P100,000 in exchange for their signature to the MoA with Lafayette Philippines, Inc.

BY AUBREY MAKILAN
Bulatlat

AERIAL PHOTOS BY UMALPAS-KA BIKOL

The sole priest in Rapu-Rapu island, Albay (449 kms. south of Manila) threatened to file charges against local government officials who signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Lafayette Philippines, Inc.

During his May 25 homily at Sta. Florentina Parish in Rapu-Rapu, assistant parish priest Fr. Felino Bugauisan announced that Sagip-Isla (Save the Island) will file criminal and administrative charges against local officials who would be found guilty of allegedly accepting P100,000 ($ 1,894.65 at $1 = P 52.78) in exchange for their signature to the MoA with Lafayette Philippines. Bugauisan is the consultant of Sagip-Isla, a multi-sectoral organization committed to oppose the operations of the mining company Lafayette Philippines, Inc. and other mining activities on the island.

Sudden turnaround

Bugauisan added that municipal officials surprisingly now favored the mining company.

The municipal council asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to allow the Australian mining firm to stay and extract the island’s mineral resources.

In fact, the municipal council passed a resolution on May 8, signed by eight of its 10 members. It was submitted by Councilor Marino Barranda Jr. to Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes on March 23. Barranda said the municipal government changed its stand on the mining project after dialogues with new Lafayette officials last month.

In an interview with Bulatlat, Bugauisan said that after his announcement, an aide of Mayor Dick Galicia approached him and denied that the mayor signed the MoA.

“Maski bigyan ako ng P1 million ($18,946.57), hindi ko ipagbibili ang isla,” Bugauisan said, “Masaya ako kung maipapakulong ko sila (mga tiwali).” (Even if they offered me P 1 million, I would not sell the island.  I would be happy to have all corrupt officials imprisoned.)

Continuing violations

The Rapu-Rapu Fact Finding Commission (RRFFC), formed by President Arroyo, recommended the cancellation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) of Lafayette, a moratorium on mining in Rapu-Rapu, and a review of the Mining Act of 1995, which allows foreign companies to fully own and control mining projects in the country.

“Pero inilalako pa rin ni DENR secretary Angelo Reyes ang bansa sa labas,” said Bayan Muna (People First) Party-list Representative Joel Virador in a forum on the RRFFC report on May 26 in Quezon City.

Dr. Aloysius Baes, RRFFC commissioner, revealed that even the DENR’s November order for Lafayette to stop discharging mining wastes has not been followed.  The order was precipitated by two mine spills that occurred in October.

Baes said the commission learned that as late as February, the mining company has been discharging its wastes.

“This alone is enough to call for ECC cancellation,” he said. “Palasak talaga ang kasinungalingan nito, huli mo na ayaw pang umamin,” (They keep on lying. There were already caught red-handed and still they refused to admit it.) said Baes.

Health hazards

The RRFFC report was criticized by Carlos G. Dominguez, who heads the company’s new Filipino management, saying that the report was unscientific.

The commission recommended that the ore content of the island be analyzed to prove their findings. But Dominguez allegedly argued there was no need for that.

Ricardo Saturay Jr, a geology instructor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP-Diliman) and a member of the Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan (Agham or Organization of Scientists Promoting Science and Technology for the People) explained that it is important to analyze the ore content of the island to check for chemical imbalances in other minerals.  He said that mining operations can activate the toxicity of other minerals even if it has not been contaminated by toxins yet.

Meanwhile, Dr. Romy Quijano, a professor at the College of Medicine in UP Manila, said that there is no exception to the hazards mining operations like that in Rapu-Rapu bring.

“Ang tanong na lang ay kung gaano kalala ang epekto nito,” (The question merely is how bad are the effects of these.) he said.

He added that simple pulverization of rocks causes a health hazard, much more in mining, which uses toxic heavy metals like lead and arsenic.

He also said that the ill effects of mining on the people need not be proven by laboratory tests.  Prolonged exposure to mining operations causes certain illnesses even if mining companies refuse to acknowledge it. 

“Gaano man kalalim ang tailings pond nila, mapupuno at aapaw ‘yun at gaya ng lahat ng nangyayari sa halos lahat ng mga minahan sa bansa,” (No matter how deep their tailing ponds are.  It will eventually be filled up and will overflow as what happens in almost all mining operations in the country.) he said.

Dim prospects

Unfortunately, there is no hope if the people relies on the legislative branch to pursue their struggle against mining companies, said Virador.

“Walang batas ang naipapasa na di certified ng Executive branch,” (No law are passed without the certification of the executive branch.) he said, adding that the prospect of having the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 repealed in Congress is dim because the current administration favors mining companies.

“Whatever the thrust of the Executive, the Legislative branch will implement,” he lamented.

Virador called on the people to expand their arena of struggle by lobbying against mining operations in their own localities.

Legitimate fight

Instead of calling for the repeal of the mining law, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that what should be done is to think “how we can develop mining to provide jobs and income for our people.”

For Bugauisan, this reveals where the sympathy of government officials lies.

“They will say something good of course at dito lalabas kung para kanino ba sila,” he said, “They are not for the people... actually, sila ang nakikinabang.” (What they say reveals who they favor.  They are not for the people…actually they benefit from these mining operations.)

Bugauisan said that they will continue the fight against mining operations even if all government officials favor mining companies.

“Sinasabi ng iba na pilay na ang Lafayette pero lulumpuhin pa natin s’ya,” the priest said, “Ang laban dito ay legitimate kaya no compromise at all.” (They say that we have crippled Lafayette but will totally disable it.  Our struggle is legitimate and there is no room for compromises.) Bulatlat

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