ATM STATEMENT TO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES—TAKE PROGRESSIVE STAND ON MINING

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), a national coalition of more than 130 members including mining-affected communities, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, academic institutions, and other groups collectively challenging the promotion of destructive large-scale mining in the Philippines, call on the Presidential Candidates to take a progressive stand on mining. We have 21 local multi-sectoral alliances in the provincial Sites of Struggles we are present.

ATM works to protect Filipino communities and natural resources that are threatened by large-scale mining operations. The alliance aims to shift the policy framework on extracting minerals in the Philippines, from simply “extracting and profiting from mining minerals” to “mineral management towards national industrialization”. ATM also believes this shift will drive local sustainable development, promote resilient communities and facilitate national industrialization.

ATM is strongly supporting human rights groups pushing for a 10-Point Human Rights Electoral Agenda for the next Administration to institutionalize rights-based governance and act to realize its Constitutional mandate to protect, respect and fulfill human rights.

In its General Assembly last April 7-8, 2016,after looking at the different influences and links of players in the mining industry to the candidates, ATM members resolved that candidates be sought to publicly state their positions on proposed changes in the mining policy. Specifically ATM calls for

(a) the enactment of a new mining law or a minerals management law that will repeal Republic Act No. 7942;

(b) revocation of PGMA’s Executive Order 270-A on the aggressive promotion of the mining industry; and the

(c) moratorium on all mining operations while a new policy is put in place.

Further, as a core member of the Green Thumb Coalition, a national initiative calling for an environmental agenda in the candidates’ platforms and future program of government, ATM demands that the candidates respond to the scorecards indicating their positions on certain environmental issues including mining, biodiversity conservation and climate change.

ATM calls for a Green Candidate to lead the Philippines in the next six years. For ATM, the “Green President” should:

i) support the passage of a new mining law, embodied in the Alternative Minerals Management Bill or (AMMB);

ii) support the expansion and implementation of the “No-Go Zones” map of DENR and MICC;

iii) address human rights violations and abuse in mining-affected areas;

iv) resolve land use conflicts between mining, ancestral domains, protected areas, geo-hazard areas and watersheds; v) strongly support local autonomy on mining issues; and

vi) increase transparency in the mining industry.

We want a new government that will have human rights and environment in its agenda and that will cater to the peoples’ needs versus corporate agenda. We want leaders who will echo our voice, as we demand justice for the ravage and plunder of our lands, the ecological destruction and disasters, the killings and human rights violations.