Dead pregnant dugong in Rapu-rapu Island

Defend Patrimony!

PRESS RELEASE
January 26, 2006

Pregnant Dugong found dead in toxic waters of Rapu-rapu Island

A pregnant Dugong (Dugong dugon) or baboy daga, a rare marine mammal, was found dead at Sitio Gogon, Brarangay Poblacion, Rapu-rapu, Albay, one of the affected areas of the toxic mine tailings spill of Australian owned Lafayette Mining Inc . Local fisherfolk found the Dugong in the morning of January 25, 2006. They suspected that the Dugong's death is because of its exposure to toxic chemicals present in the seawaters of Rapu-rapu Island.

Dugong is a large marine mammal belonging to a group of animals known as Sirenians. It has a grey brown bulbous animal with a flattened fluked tail, like that of a whale, no dorsal fins, with paddle like flippers and distinctive head shape.It is classified a vulnerable specie by the Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In the Philippines Dugong is considered as endangered animal.

Fr. Felino Bugauisan local Assistant Parish Priest and spokeperson of Sagip Isla said that "This is the first time we found a dead Dugong in our Island. We did not experience any fish kill and Dugong dying in our sea before the mining operation and cyanide spill of LMI. This validates the toxic effects of the cyanide and other heavy metals in the mine tailings spilled from the mining operation of LMI last October 11 and November 1 2005. The threat of contamination still lingers in the island, contrary to the claims of LMI and DENR that the incident has been sufficiently addressed and its effects have been contained." Sagip Isla is a local movement in the island opposing and calling for the closure of Polymetallic Mining Project of LMI.

"The cyanide spill and the voluminous toxic mine tailings that have been dumped in Rapu-Rapu island has caused the contamination of the seagrass and poisoning of sealife including the Dugong. Dugong is a sea mammal that naturally feeds on seagrasses found on shallow waters of coastal areas. On the average, it eats 25 kilos of seagrass a day. The presence of toxic heavy metals such as mercury, lead and arsenic in their food is fatal to Dugong," explains by Clemente Bautista of Defend Patrimony. Defend Patrimony is a national alliance opposing large-scale mining projects and the mining liberalization program of the Arroyo administration

Aside from Dugong, whale sharks, commonly known as Butanding are also found in Rapu-Rapu Island. The people and local government of Sorsogon also opposes the LMI large-scale mining project because it is affecting the multimillion whale watching tourism in the province. Rapu-Rapu Island and Donsol, Sorsogon is the natural sanctuary of Butanding and Dugong.

"Until now, the people and fisherfolks of Rapu-rapu Island are reeling from the effects of mine tailings spill of LMI. The volume of our fish catch drastically decreased and people from other places is still afraid to buy our catch for fear of toxic poisoning," added by Fr. Bugauisan.

Mr. Bautista states that "The LMI cyanide spill, the fish kill and the death of Dugong in the Island only shows why the DENR can not be trusted with the protection of people's wefare and the environment. The situation also affirms that there is no such thing as environmental-friendly mining operation under the mining revitalization program of the Arroyo administration."

Sagip Isla and Defend Patrimony reiterate their demand for the closure of the Lafayette mining operation in the island. On Monday they will join the presentation of the laboratory results of the local samples drawn by an Independent Investigative Mission, led by the Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC), on the immediate impacts of the Rapu-rapu incident.

Reference:
Kalikasan-People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE)
No.26 Matulungin St. Bgy, Central, Quezon City, Philippines 1100
Tel. No. +63-2-9248756 Fax No. +63-2-9209099
Email: kalikasan.pne at gmail.com, kpne at edsamail.com.ph, royalroi at yahoo.com

Defend Mindanao from mining plunder!

Vol. IV, No. 243 A Publication of the Mindanao News and Information
Cooperative Center 23 January 2006

DEFEND MINDANAO FROM MINING PLUNDER!
Defend our Land and Patrimony!
Defend our Future! An Interfaith Statement of the Peoples of Mindanao
MindaNews / 22 January 2006

Adopted by the delegates to the Mindanao Interfaith Conference on Mining Plunder January 20, 2006 Zamboanga del Norte Convention Center, Dipolog City "That Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" - Romans 8:21

"And the earth We have spread out; set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance." -Qur'an, 15:19

"(Land is) a gift from Magbabaya to a people he has put in a place in order to develop and guard Creation. As a divine gift, it could not be owned by anyone for one cannot own that which gives life." - Dibabawon Tribe

We -- representatives from the Lumad and Moro peoples, the Catholic and Protestant churches, people's organizations, local governments, advocates for the environment, and other support groups--- gather in this historic conference in Mindanao to strengthen our unity in faith, convictions, and action against large-scale mining plunder.

In the midst of our diversities in faith, we express our unwavering unity to defend life, land and patrimony against the most vicious plunder of large-scale mining.

Ten years into the implementation of the Mining Act of 1995, we have witnessed wanton destruction of rivers, forests and fields; the loss of homes, ancestral lands and farms; the spread of militarization, terror and plunder with the entry of large-scale mining into the communities.

Intensifying this plunder is the Arroyo government's ferocious revitalization of the mining industry; and the reversal of the Supreme Court on the petition filed by La Bugal B'laan Tribal Association, as these have lured mining explorations and permits into the country and particularly into Mindanao. In fact, 10 mining projects in Mindanao are being made priority by the government, including four in Caraga, four in Southern Mindanao, one in Socsksargen and one in Western Mindanao.

In Moro territories, the exploitation of natural gas and oil resources by foreign entities is now in the pipeline.

The very experiences of the communities in Canatuan, Siocon; Columbio, Sultan Kudarat; Placer, Surigao del Norte; Sulu and other areas in Mindanao have shown the deprivation of the lands of the Lumad, Moro and Christian communities, the disintegration of our people¡¦s cultures, and the transgression of our human rights. State-ownership and control of Mt. Diwalwal, Compostela Valley is likewise being used as a pretext to eliminate thousands of marginal small-scale miners to pave the way for mining multinational and transnational monopoly of its mammoth deposits.

Given these conditions present in Mindanao, we state that large-scale mining can neither bring development, sustainability and peace, because what we see is the dying of the environment, ancestral lands and communities with the onslaught of mining plunder.

We hold the Arroyo government principally accountable for the suffering and death of our peoples and Creation as it is the most rabid purveyor of mining liberalization. As she serves our mineral resources to mining TNCs/MNCs on a silver platter, her hand is bloodied by the many deaths arising from mining incursions, the dying of our environment, and the depletion of the life-source of our future generations.

We are prepared to meet the greater challenge posed by this administration to shed off the remaining safeguards to our patrimony as enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution by concocting Charter Change, an act that will be more vicious and rapacious than the 1995 Mining Law.

We come forward with our response, as stewards of Creation, defenders of ancestral lands, advocates of the environment, to affirm our commitment to defend our land, our life, and our patrimony.

We are emboldened by the ongoing movements in Mindanao coming from the Lumad, Moro and peasant communities, the Catholic and Protestant Churches, and support groups to resist the entry of mining firms. We rely on the boundless resources of our faiths and convictions in this fight, inspired by the victory of the Biblical David over Goliath, the triumph of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) over the oppressive

Quraish landlords of Mecca, and guarded by the Spirit of Linuyan, the keeper of our ancestral fields.

The Truth is our weapon in response to the lies and myths being spinned by mining TNCs/MNCs. Mining liberalization are the exact opposite to genuine national development. Liberalized, export-oriented, and extractive mining will only make a ghost island of Mindanao--- a bleak eventuality already proven by the experience of mining-ravaged Third World nations.

Therefore, we raise the unity among the peoples of Mindanao towards these calls: "End all large-scale mining explorations and operations in Mindanao", "Scrap the Mining Act of 1995 and other related mining policies detrimental to the environment and patrimony;" "No to charter change and the sell-out of our sovereignty and natural resources;" "Hold mining companies and government agencies accountable for the destruction of ancestral domains, environment and lands;" "Stop military operations in mining-affected and mining-targeted areas;" "Press for an alternative people's mining policy to sustain genuine development"

Panalipdan Mindanao! is our rallying call. Panalipdan! Mindanao is our unequivocal response.

(Approved and signed by 230 delegates in the Interfaith Conference)

Contact Panalipdan! MindanaoSecretariat:
c/o InPeace Mindanao, Rm. 101 Kalinaw
Center for Interfaith Resources, 13 Francisco Avenue, Juna
Subdivision, Matina,8000 Davao City.

E-mail: panalipdan_mindanao@yahoo.com. Tel/Fax (082) 299-4964

(c) Copyright 2006 MindaNews

DENR's 10.7 million peso fine is not enough!

Kalikasan-PNE
January 11, 2006

DENR's 10.7 million peso fine is not enough!

"The DENR's 10.7 million pesos fine to the La Fayette Mining Inc. (LFMI
) is insufficient to cover the environmental and social damages of the
series of tailings spills that the company has brought about. The
measly fine appears to be DENR's way of muffling the local people's demands
to stop the large-scale mining project in Rapu-rapu island for good",
said Clemente Bautista Jr. DENR estimated that La Fayette will earn an
astonishing $41 million per year from the polymetallic mining project in
Rapu-rapu.

Mr. Bautista cited that in other countries the cost of clean-up and
rehabilitation in similar cases of mining cyanide spill runs up to tens to
hundreds of millions of dollars. The environmental impact of the
cyanide leaching in the open-pit Summitville Gold Mine in Colorado and Gilt
Edge Mine in Alaska amounted to $170 million and $15 million,
respectively. The Romanian government once demanded $100 million compensation
from cyanide spills of the Baia Mare Gold Mine which was also operated by
an Australian transnational mining company.



"Basically, the fine that the DENR is charging is based only on the
violation of LFMI of the provision of the Clean Water Act not on the
actual assessment of the impacts of the tailings spill, as well as other
irregularities in the mining operations. Secondly, the fine fails to
incorporate the health and environmental effects of other heavy metals
integrated in the mine waste and tailings spilled by LFMI," says Januar
Ong, Environmental Research Coordinator of Center for Environmental
Concerns (CEC) which headed the independent fact finding mission to
investigate the mine spill held last November 2005.

"Contrary to the claim of DENR Sec. Defensor, the Arroyo government
equally shares the responsibility for the Rapurapu disaster since it has
adamantly pursued its "mining revitalization program" in spite of the
obviously weak control and safety measures instituted by the government.
Still, the people's experiences in Rapu-rapu Island, Marinduque, and
Zamboanga del Norte, to cite a few cases, tell us that its mining
liberalization has not benefited the local people. It has clearly resulted to
massive displacement of communities, environmental destruction and
violations of human rights," added by Mr. Bautista.

Since 2002 the Arroyo government aggressively promotes large-scale
mining and makes it one of its priority economic programs. There are 23
large-scale mining projects that the government is now prioritizing which
according to them will generate billion pesos for the government. ###

Lafayette fine not enough, say execs

Lafayette fine not enough, say execs

First posted 11:05pm (Mla time) Jan 10, 2006
By Blanche S. Rivera
Inquirer

THE multimillion-peso fine slapped against an
Australian mining firm apparently was not enough to
appease the fishing communities surrounding the
Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project site in Albay and
officials of Sorsogon, including the House minority
floor leader.

Local officials, fishermen�s group and House Minority
Leader Chiz Escudero yesterday reiterated a call for
Lafayette Mining Inc., operator of the P10.4-billion
mining project in Rapu-Rapu, Albay to pull out of the
island so fishermen can recover their livelihood.

Prieto-Diaz Mayor Benito Doma said the P10.7 million
fine on Lafayette�s subsidiary, Rapu-Rapu Processing
Inc., was not enough to ensure that the mining company
would install safeguards to prevent another mine spill
that caused fish kills on the island.

�The economic loss of fishers is bigger than the fine
because it could last even after Lafayette�s project
ends in seven years. Until now, the people in other
cities are not buying fish from Rapu-Rapu, our area
and other towns in Sorsogon facing the Pacific coast,�
Doma said in a phone interview yesterday.

In an e-mailed statement, Escudero said the fine was
too small and not commensurate to the damage that
Lafayette has done.

He also said the fine should translate into livelihood
and economic opportunities for fishermen who suffered
from the effects of the mine spill.

In an interview, Rod Watt, Lafayette country manager,
said the firm would comply with the conditions set by
the DENR along with the P10.7 million fine.

�We would not want an untoward incident to happen
again,� he said. �We would avail of the approval of
the government � before we proceed with our mining
activities.�

Roderick Salazar, lawyer and head of the Lafayette
subsidiary Rapu-Rapu Minerals Inc., said his firm
remained optimistic that �by correcting the issues and
resuming operations � we can deliver the type of
production that will sustain profitability and local
employment.�

But Escudero, in his statement, said the environment
should take precedence over whatever economic gains
could be had from the Lafayette operations.

Prieto-Diaz, an island municipality across Rapu-Rapu,
has reported big losses in its fisheries trade. People
refused to buy fish from areas near the mine site even
if these were sold cheap.

�Until now, the fish scare is there,� Doma said.

He said international and local nongovernment
organizations are helping small municipalities collate
data to document the adverse impact of Lafayette�s
mining project on fishing communities, mangroves and
whale sharks.

�The fight will continue. We still want Lafayette out
of here,� Doma said, disclosing plans to file a civil
suit against Lafayette.

Pamalakaya, a militant fishermen�s group, said the
problem would not end unless Lafayette is forced out
of the 5,000-hectare island with a rich marine
ecosystem. With a report from Cristine Gaylican

Albay fishermen demand shutdown of mining firm

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Albay fishermen demand shutdown of mining firm

By Ronnie E. Calumpita, Reporter
Manila Times

A MILITANT group of fishermen on Tuesday urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to permanently cancel the permit of a mining firm in Rapu Rapu, Albay, that was fined P10.7 million for two mine spills in October.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas said the fines slapped by the DENR Pollution Adjudication Board against Lafayette Philippines Inc. should be adequate compensation for the fishermen who lost their livelihood because of the spills.

The demand of Bicol fishermen and other affected residents to get Lafayette out of their lives is nonnegotiable. The message is clear and it should go beyond the financial aspect of the issue, nothing more, nothing less,� Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya national chairman, said in a statement.

The board found that the Rapu-Rapu Minerals Inc., owned by Australian Lafayette Mining Inc., violated Republic Act 9275, the Clean Water Act of 2004, when it discharged on October 11 and 31 untreated wastewater with high cyanide content into creeks that emptied into the Albay Gulf.

Hicap said that fishermen in Rapu-Rapu, Albay and Gubat, Prieto Diaz and Barcelona, Sorsogon, had small catch since then, while the marine life had been harmed by the two spills.

On the other hand, the lawyer Roderick Salazar, president of Rapu-Rapu Minerals, said he was confident that Lafayette would resume operations since they were �correcting the issues.�

�In adherence to our company policy, we will continue to work with government and the local community to complete the process by which we can safely and confidently return to commissioning the base metals plant in the near term,� he added.

Environment Secretary Michael Defensor said the department will lift the suspension only when it complies with environmental laws, including proper water treatment at the mining site.