ATM extends support to legal challenge against OceanaGold
- Alyansa Tigil Mina
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) extends its solidarity with the Diocese of Bayombong and other petitioners legally challenging before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Nueva Vizcaya the renewal of OceanaGold’s Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) for the mining firm’s copper-gold mine operations in Barangay Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.
“We fully support the petitioners’ demand to cancel OceanaGold’s renewed FTAA due to lack of prior public consultations. It is unacceptable that government has renewed OceanaGold’s FTAA, when the company’s operations has been mired with human rights violations and environmental destruction,” said Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator.
On April 22, 2024, petitioners from Nueva Vizcaya filed a special civil action asking the court to compel the cancellation of the copper-gold mine’s FTAA and mining operations, as well as pleading for the immediate rehabilitation of its open pit facility.
A year later, on April 2, 2025, the RTC Court ruled that the FTAA renewal was merely an extension of the original FTAA’s term and that there was no merit to the argument on the lack of prior public consultations.
Petitioners filed a Motion of Reconsideration arguing that there is no legal basis in Philippine laws for a mere extension of an FTAA. “At best, the concept of an ‘extension’ is legally recognized only within the confines of the exploration phases of a FTAA, but even this extension still needs to comply with the public consultation requirements set out by the Local Government Code,” Atty. Rolly Peoro, Direct Legal Services Coordinator of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC), who serves as counsel in the case, had earlier explained.
“We stand with the petitioners as we continue to oppose OceanaGold’s mining operations and demand the absolute cancellation of their contract. We hope for a favorable decision from the Court since the consent of. residents and stakeholders were clearly sidestepped in the renewal process,” said Garganera.
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