Green Groups Pray for SC Urgent Action on Marinduque Mining Tragedy

PRESS RELEASE 
May 6, 2010 
  
Green Groups Pray for SC Urgent Action on Marinduque Mining Tragedy: 
Says Legacy of Destructive Mining Must Go Away with GMA 
  
Manila – A national group of environmental organizations pleaded today with the Supreme Court to act speedily and in favor of local residents from Marinduque seeking justice and compensation from the mining tragedy that befell the province 17 years ago.   Expressing their support to plaintiffs from elderly and ailing residents of the province, Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), expressed faith that the Supreme Court will uphold the rule of law and confer environmental justice to Marinduquenos, who became victims of a mine spill in Mogpog River in 1993, by a mine operated by Marcopper Mining Corporation.  
  
Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of ATM, said that with the rules on environmental cases promulgated by the Supreme Court recently, “we are hopeful that Chief Justice Puno and the rest of the Supreme Court will act swiftly, decisively and impartially bestow justice.  This is a fitting legacy that CJ Puno will be giving as he anticipates his retirement a few days from now.” He added that this “ugly legacy of the Marinduque tragedy is a concrete reminder of the serious threats that large-scale mining poses to our environment, our livelihoods and even lives”.  He compared the horrible calamity to the continuing tragedy that is the GMA administration which has aggressively promoted large-scale mining.  “This should be an important lesson to all candidates in this elections, that they should heed the call of the rural poor who are against large-scale mining and looking for genuine rural development through agriculture and agro-industrialization productivity”, he concluded. 
  
“HARIBON supports the efforts made by the residents of Marinduque to seek and claim justice that long eluded them. Although this will not bring back the original biodiversity of the area, their action resonates of hope for themselves and another chance to renew life”, said Blas Tabaranza, Executive Director of HARIBON.  HARIBON is a co-convenor of ATM. 
  
Meanwhile, human rights groups expressed solidarity with this move.  “This is the final resort to seek redress for the human rights abuses resulting from this mining tragedy in Marinduque, and we are supporting the plaintiffs”, said Nymia Pimental-Simbulan, Executive Director of the Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights). 
  
In the early hours of December 6, 1993, at the height of typhoon Monang, the siltation dam of Marcopper in Marinduque broke, sending a flashflood down the Mogpog River. Two people were reported killed, along with the destruction of residents’ crops, homes and loss of numerous livestock due to mine tailings and toxic effluent. The incident led to the eventual death of the Mogpog river, which, prior to the disaster, was a valuable community resources to barangays along the river. Only 3 years after the storm, a leak in the mine’s drainage tunnel caused more toxic materials to empty out into the Boac River in the provincial capital.  In addition, corrosive tailings and other mine waste were dumped in Marinduque’sCalancan Bay continuously for 16 years, endangering fisherfolk communities by the sea, as well as the smaller creeks and rice fields traversed by the drainage pipes. 
  
ATM is a national campaign of more than 80 organizations all over the country against the aggressive promotion of large-scale mining in the Philippines.  They are actively supporting more than 20 mining-affected communities who are opposing the entry or expansion of mining operations in their areas, including the continuing struggle of the people of Marinduque. ATM is convened by HARIBON, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) and the Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA).  (30) 
  
  
For further information:  Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator (0915) 315.37.19