“More than two decades in the making, the landmark case is a cautionary tale on how the Mining Act of 1995 and related policies have been lacking teeth and biased toward big businesses and their political sponsors.”
“Until now MGB has not heeded the call of the people to disallow and disapprove foreign large-scale mining corporations.”
In 2005, the local government of Marinduque filed a case against Placer Dome in the United States. Last year, its new owner Barrick Gold offered a US$ 20-million settlement with a condition that the petitioners, including Philippine government agencies, waive their accountabilities and responsibilities with regard to the disaster.
By MARYA SALAMAT
‘If Harper truly respects the Filipino people’s sovereignty, he should be instrumental in the immediate pullout of Canadian mining corporations. We ask him to ‘mine his own business,’ if their capital will not benefit our communities and be detrimental to our ecological integrity and community welfare.’ – Kalikasan
See also: Open letter of Filipino groups in Canada to Canadian PM Harper
Letter to the Editor 14 October 2011 The Philippines has historically endured gross environmental destruction caused by mining plunder: from the recorded 1982 Maricalum mining disaster in Negros Occidental, 1996 Marcopper mine-tailings dam collapse in Marinduque, 2005 Lafayette toxic spill in Albay, to the latest 2007 TVI Pacific mine-tailings spill in Zamboanga del Norte. Likewise,…
In today’s commercialized culture, love is often expressed through gifts of 18-karat gold rings, pendants or necklaces. The means employed in the extraction of the gem, however, are far from romantic. By EDWIN C. MERCURIO Bulatlat.com TORONTO, Canada – Hidden from the watchful eyes of the North American and European public, the operations of transnational…
The mining operations have long been stopped but the toxic wastes dumped by Marcopper and Placer Dome from 1975 to 1991 into Marinduque’s Calancan Bay, a major water and food source in the area, has claimed yet another life. By Bulatlat.com Ambeth Relloque, 18, was to be brought by ambulance to the Philippine General Hospital…