Chamber of Mines slams NPA attack

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 24): Chamber of Mines slams NPA attack

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines called on the government to protect mining investments in the countryside, citing the recent New People’s Army attacks against Philex Mining Bulawan gold project in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, among others.

Suspected communist rebels recently raided the mining exploration site of Philex in Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City, and burned a bunk house and a generator set. They also killed five Army soldiers, who had responded to the incident.

The COMP strongly condemned the recent attacks on members Philex Mining Corp. and Lepanto Mining Corp., in a statement published on its website. It said these terrorists encounters also endanger the lives, not only of mining employees, but also of residents of mining communities and the government troops.

The Philex exploration site is located in Sitio Umas of Barangay Camindangan in Sipalay. The area of the attack is 30 kilometers away from the company’s Bulawan gold project, which is now under a care-and-maintenance phase through its subsidiary, Philex Gold Philippines Inc.

The Philex has been raided thrice by the NPA since 2008, a fate also suffered by the Maricalum Mining Co. whose company guards were disarmed in previous years.

Although its members reinforce security measures around their mine sites, COMP said the government must take the lead in protecting businesses and key investments, especially in the countryside, from such wanton acts, not only against mining operations but on other investments.

Philex chairman Manny Pangilinan had earlier said that they temporarily stopped their mining operations in Sipalay City, and will resume only once the peace and order in the area has been stabilized.

"We cannot afford to continue our operations (in Sipalay) knowing that the lives of our employees there are at risk because of NPA atrocities", Pangilinan said.

COMP, meanwhile, said “Once again, insurgents do not want to see large-scale responsible mining, as practiced by Philex, Lepanto and other members of the Chamber, succeed.”

“Despite such attacks, these terrorists have failed to fleece these companies through ‘revolutionary taxes’ with continuing to do the same to small-scale miners who have no means to protect themselves.”

While the NPA rebellion thrives on poverty to swell its numbers, COMP said poverty is the very issue being addressed by responsible mining companies, that provide jobs and livelihood opportunities to Filipinos in remote places where they are often out of reach of basic government services.

Andrea Guerrero, spokesperson of the NPA South West Front, had claimed responsibility for the previous raids and destruction of mining firm properties, that she accused of inflicting damage to the environment, the lives, livelihood, health of the people in the area.

In a statement they issued, Guerrero also alleged that Philex dumped toxic wastes in Mantuboy Creek, Bacuyangan and Sipalay River, which she claimed, resulted in fishkill in the shorelines of Sipalay, and loss of water source for irrigation to peasants and farmers.

The military dismissed the rebel claims as plain and simple propaganda, and said the NPA intention was to punish the mining firm for not paying revolutionary taxes to them.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/June/24/topstory3.htm