By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
Northern Dispatch
MAKATI CITY– Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño warned the mining companies about their plunder of natural resources during the Northern Luzon and Central Luzon picket at the Chamber of Mines.
“We are calling on the mine firms not to abuse the privileges given them by the mining act of 1995 because if they continue their plunder on the countries’ natural resources and continue to threaten the communities, someday, these firms will be held accountable,” he said in his speech.
He aired this warning to all mining companies operating in the Philippines. Protests against large-scale, destructive mining is getting stronger, Casiño noted.
“The people all over the country has grown conscious of fighting for their right due to the severe destruction caused by the industry,” Casiño further said. This, he added, is evident in the tropping of people from Northern Luzon and Central Luzon to the Chamber of Mines to show their protest. He then warned the mine firms to “lessen their greed.”
Environment destruction in the provinces also affects the cities during natural calamities. Thus the effects of destructive mining in provinces are also felt in cities. Casiño praised the effort of people from various provinces of Northern Luzon like Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, and Ilocos Region in telling the stories of what is really happening in the mountains, seas and sea shores as a result of mining activities.
Casiño asked the people to support he passage of the Peoples Mining Bill calling for the repeal and, at most, scrapping of the current mining act which has caused severe destruction of the environment. This mining bill, he said, is a pro-people, pro-environment and pro-nation mining bill.
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