Class Suit Filed to Stop Lafayette’s Test Run

BY AUBREY MAKILAN
Bulatlat

Posted 3:03 p.m. July 20, 2006

Environmentalist groups and individuals, including an actress and a former beauty queen, filed a class suit July 20 at the Makati Regional Trial Court asking for a temporary restraining order on Lafayette Processing Inc.’s 30-day test run on Rapu-Rapu island, Albay.

“The petition is solid, good and nice,” said counsel Howard Calleja. “If you can stop the flagship project (the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project), then you can start questioning other mining projects.”

Around 1,000 signatures of petitioners were gathered by members of Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC)-Philippines, Rapu-rapu’s Sagip-Isla, Sagip-Kapwa, Bicol peasant group Umalpas-Ka, Kalikasan-Philippine Network for the Environment (KPNE) and Defend Patrimony! alliance.  Among the petitioners were Miss Universe 1999 First Runner-up Miriam Quiambao and Urian Best actress Chin-chin Gutierrez

Fr. Felino Bugauisan, assistant parish priest of Rapu-Rapu and consultant of Sagip-Isla (Save the Island), a multi-sectoral organization opposed to mining operations in the island off Legazpi City in Albay, gathered almost 400 signatures. He said he could have gathered more but not all signatories to the petition have the required documents, such as a community tax certificate (cedula).

Frances Quimpo, CEC-Philippines executive director told Bulatlat they have been receiving more signatures supporting the petition even after the filing.

On June 30, the Department of Natural Resources allowed Lafayette to resume its operations.  The mining corporation started its test run on the second week of July.

The government’s decision to allow Lafayette to have a test run angered the members of the Bastes Commission that found the company negligent and responsible for the mine spills that happened in October 2005.

Aside from the TRO, the petition also included a preliminary injunction to make Lafayette pay damages to the residents of Rapu-Rapu and nearby provinces who were affected by the October 2005 spills.

Meanwhile, groups based in different baranggays (villages) have issued their own unity statements against the resumption of mining operations on Rapu-Rapu island. One statement was endorsed by Bp. Froilo Quiambao, auxiliary bishop of Legazpi diocese.

Major anti-mining organizations in Bicol such as the Sagip-Isla, Umalpas-Ka, Defend Patrimony! and Anti-Lafayette Mining Alliance (Alam) have also protested against Lafayette. Bulatlat