Davao City — Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao, a broad alliance from members of environmental groups, human rights organizations, religious groups, research organizations, the academe, civil society groups, and peoples organizations lambasted the ongoing military operations in the hinterlands of Compostela Valley, particularly in the municipality of New Bataan.
We believe that the ultimate objective of massive military operations in New Bataan and other municipalities of Compostela Valley Province and Davao Oriental is to wipe out all types of peoples resistance against mining under the Investment Defense Force (IDF) and mining liberalization policy of the Arroyo regime, said Panalipdan-SMR spokesperson Francis Morales.
Morales stressed that the IDF being implemented in ComVal Province and Davao Oriental further strengthens the previous military support granted by the Arroyo regime to large-scale and foreign mining corporations.
Recently, there is a government policy that allows mining companies to hire paramilitary or even military forces, to secure their mining projects and interests. This policy has been announced by Department of National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro during the recent 8th Asia-Pacific Mining Conference and Exhibition 2008, he added.
Part of the said policy is to increase the recruitment of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) and the Barangay Defense System (BDS) to augment the security for ongoing and proposed mining sites and other anti-people and anti-environment projects, the Panalipdan leader said.
Panalipdan-SMR also lambasted the irresponsible labeling of New Bataan as influenced municipality and operations center of the New Peoples Army (NPA) by major general Jogy Leo Fojas, commanding general of the 10th infantry division.
Such statement is an overt justification of militarizing and terrorizing the people of New Bataan, including the local government unit officials, to facilitate and protect the explorations and operations of mining corporations, Morales said.
Panalipdan-SMR has researched and documented reports from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) that there are 37 mining applications in New Bataan, an area apparently rich in gold, silver and copper. Identified mining corporations that have applied for mining explorations in New Bataan are Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation with total application area of 5,682.448 hectares; Batoto Resources Corporation with 5,101.8616 hectares; New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation with 2,685.872 hectares; First Northern Ventures, Inc. with 4,212.338 hectares; and PhilCo Mining Corporation with 2,587.146 hectares.
Environmental groups are alarmed to find out about these mining applications because mining explorations and operations will affect the integrity of various ecosystems in the area such as Mt. Kampalili-Tagub range complex, a known key biodiversity area (KBA), and Andap and Caragan watershed areas that supply ample amount of the water for residential and agricultural uses in ComVal province.
Militarization is very common in areas where community resistance is strong which resulted to displacement, intimidation and human rights abuses, as in the case of New Bataan and other areas of Compostela Valley Province and Davao Oriental, added Morales.
Panalipdan-SMR is echoing the demands of the affected communities, human rights and civil society groups for the stop of mining-instigated military operations in New Bataan and other areas of Compostela Valley Province and Davao Oriental.#
For reference:
Mr. Francis Morales
Spokesperson, Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao Region
Contact number: 09282841005
Mining applications in New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province
Corporation Mineral Deposit Area of mining claim (has) Municipality Status in MGB
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 2,666.458 New Bataan, Maragusan Final evaluation
Batoto Resources Corporation Gold, silver & copper 2,218.815 Nabunturan, New Bataan Preliminary evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 0.005 New Bataan, Maragusan Final evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation Gold, silver & copper 2.78 New Bataan, Compostela Preliminary evaluation
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 494.815 New Bataan Renewed application & approved
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 554.993 New Bataan Renewed application & approved
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 373.591 New Bataan Renewed application & approved
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 478.664 New Bataan Renewed application & approved
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 5.686 New Bataan Renewed application & approved
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 3.664 New Bataan Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 2.438 New Bataan Preliminary evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 949.881 New Bataan, Maragusan Final evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 3.868 New Bataan (Brgy. Manurigao), Maragusan Final evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 99.778 New Bataan (Brgy. Andap), Maragusan Final evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 0.105 New Bataan (Brgy. Andap), Maragusan Final evaluation
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 478.73 New Bataan (Brgy. Camanlangan) Renewed application & approved
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 28.667 New Bataan (Brgy. Cabinuangan) Renewed application & approved
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 17.2 New Bataan (Brgy. Mangagit) Renewed application & approved
Batoto Resources Corporation Gold, silver & copper 403.194 Nabunturan, New Bataan (Brgy. Andap) Preliminary evaluation
Batoto Resources Corporation Gold, silver & copper 314.14 Nabunturan, New Bataan (Brgy. Tandawan) Preliminary evaluation
Batoto Resources Corporation Gold, silver & copper 2,165.7126 Nabunturan, New Bataan (Brgy. Camanlangan) Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures Gold, silver & copper 19.88 New Bataan Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures Gold, silver & copper 1,560.074 New Bataan (Brgy. Manurigao) Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 1,531.468 New Bataan (Brgy. Andap) Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 15.733 New Bataan (Brgy. Tandawan) Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 480.103 New Bataan (Camanlangan) Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 594.165 New Bataan (Brgy. Cabinuangan) Preliminary evaluation
First Northern Ventures, Inc. Gold, silver & copper 4.813 New Bataan (Brgy. Fatima) Preliminary evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 1,959.655 New Bataan, Maragusan Final evaluation
Eastern Horizon Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper 2.803 New Bataan, Maragusan Final Evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation Gold, silver & copper 425.865 New Bataan (Brgy. Pagsabangan), Compostela Preliminary evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation Gold, silver & copper 1,403.399 New Bataan, Compostela Preliminary evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation Gold, silver & copper 2.19 New Bataan (Brgy. Pagsabangan), Compostela Preliminary evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation Gold, silver & copper 0.002 New Bataan (Brgy. Pagsabangan), Compostela Preliminary evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Corporation Gold, silver & copper 851.635 New Bataan (Brgy. Pagsabangan), Compostela Preliminary evaluation
New Compostela Valley Exploration Gold, silver & copper 0.001 New Bataan (Brgy. Pagsabangan), Compostela Preliminary evaluation
PhilCo Mining Corporation Gold, silver & copper No data New Bataan (Brgy. Fatima) Renewed application & approved
Researched and documented by Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao Region
Courtesy of Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 11
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