MINDORO HUNGER STRIKERS CALL ON PACMAN’S HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MINING

November 20,2009 -Day 4 for Mindoreno hunger strike. The group waits Philippine's boxing champ Manny Pacquiao at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 

November 20,2009
PRESS RELEASE

MINDORO HUNGER STRIKERS CALL ON PACMAN’S HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MINING

“Pacman, help us stop mining in Mindoro!”

In the midst of Manny Pacquiao’s victory and grand motorcade from the DENR, 25 hunger strikers have called on the “People’s Champ” to support their fight against mining.

The hunger strikers are members of indigenous tribes, priests and residents of Mindoro island. They have been staging a hunger strike in front of DENR since November 17 to dramatize the Mindorenos’ opposition to the proposed Mindoro Nickel Project of Norwegian company Intex Resources and call for the revocation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the department in October 14.

“The strength and determination of Manny Pacquiao to win his games is the same strength and determination we, Mangyans have in our struggle against mining,” Librada Isidro, a Mangyan woman leader and one of the 25 hunger strikers, said. “We draw the same strength from him.”  

November 20,2009 - People's Champ Manny Pacquiao greets Mindoro hunger strike contingent at the gate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

The hunger strikers, along with the support groups are dismayed with the order issued by Environment Secretary Lito Atienza after local officials, the church and civil society groups held a dialog with him on Day 2 of the strike. Atienza ordered a 90-day suspension of the implementation of the ECC as opposed to the revocation call of the hunger strikers.

Nick Tumaca, a farmer-leader of Mindoro said the project would affect the agricultural output of the province which is considered as the fourth largest rice producing area in the Philippines with P12 billion worth of agricultural income. “It would destroy our agricultural lands from which a large number of our people depend.”

Said project also threatens to displace 20,000 indigenous peoples from their ancestral domains and threaten the island’s biodiversity. 

Fr. Edu Gariguez of Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN), a Mindoro-based anti-mining coalition, reiterates their call that mining is not welcome in Mindoro. “DENR should respect the people’s call that we do not want any mining project in our province.” 

Oriental Mindoro has passed a 25-year mining moratorium ordinance in 2002 prohibiting the entry of all large-scale mining in the province, while five municipalities of Occidental Mindoro has passed mining moratorium ordinances.  

Meanwhile, national anti-mining group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) has expressed continued support to the fight of the people of Mindoro.
“The hunger strike is valid and ATM supports this move as we believe that the issuance of the ECC was “irregular” and violated the mining moratoriums in Mindoro island,” Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator said.


For more information:
Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez, ALAMIN, (0919) 8005595, edugariguez@gmail.com, http://earthjedi.blogspot.com/
Jeff Rafa, ALAMIN (0918) 9443561 / Jaybee Garganera, ATM Coordinator, (0915) 315.37.19/  
Roslyn Arayata, ATM Policy Officer (0917) 521.7937

Photos by Roslyn Arayata