ATM backs CMSP’s call to stop mining in Brooke’s Point, Palawan

ATM Statement | October 5, 2023

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) supported the call of the Conference of Major Superiors of the Philippines (CMSP) to stop mining in Brooke’s Point, Palawan considering the irreversible damage of mining to the environment and the harassment and red-tagging of environmental defenders.

Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, said “CMSP’s call fortifies the resistance against mining and inspires the environmental movement to forge ahead in our struggles. We hope that government authorities and the concerned mining corporations, Celestial Nickel Mining Exploration Corp. and Ipilan Nickel Corp., heed the call to respect the protected ancestral area of the indigenous people of Brooke’s Point.”

The CMSP issued a statement on October 4 in the wake of their General Assembly in September at Puerto Princesa where environmental defenders from Brooke’s Point shared to the congregation their experiences on the degradation of their land and seas due to mining.

“We reiterate our call to stop mining in Brooke’s Point and for the DENR to cancel the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of INC. In light of the Cease and Desist Order (CDO) of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the issuance of the Writ of Kalikasan by the Supreme Court, it is imperative that INC stop its illegal operations immediately. It is unacceptable that the mining corporation continues to defy the orders of the authorities,” said Garganera.