Zamboanga del Sur IPs seek Pnoy's help for investigation on illegal mining operation

By JONG CADION

PAGADIAN CITY, ZAMBO del SUR, Mindanao, Southern Philippines (March 22-PNA) -– The group of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) belong to the organization of Pikumpongan Subanen Lupa Pusaka with a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) 075 in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte sending a letter requesting help to President Benigno Aquino III through the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Ramon J.P. Paje to investigate the continuous illegal mining operations in Zamboanga del Sur.

The CADT-075 represented by its tribal leader Chairman Luciano G. Tanglanan in their letter said that the illegal mining operation was conducted by the Small-Scale Miners under the area of a certain Diosdado M. Dioson operated by Global Titan Mining Corporation particularly at Barangay Canoayan in the municipality of Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur up to the boundaries between the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte.

The Subanen Ancestral Domain consisting of Barangays/portion of the municipalities of Sindangan, Leon E. Postego, Godod and Siaayan, all of the province of Zambonga del Norte and portion of the municipality of Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur.   

In their letter to President Pnoy dated March 17, 2014 copy furnished to acting Director Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Leo N. Jasareno, Justice Secretary Laila de Lima, citing that the provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur issued a Governor’s Permit to Global Titan Mining Corporation valid from February 14, 2011 to December 31, 2013 and up to the present their mining operations still continue even the objection and petition against their operations was filed by the IPs community to the office of Mine and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

The mining operations covers an area of 199,997 square meters located within the applied tenement for Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of Greater Asia Mining and Development Corp. (GAMDC) denominated as APSA No, 000129-IX, wherein a consent was given to Mr. Dioson by Mr. Elson S. Ogario, President of OAMDC, which granted the right to apply for Small-Scale Mining Permit over the area base from the MGB report dated August 14, 2013 as attached to their petition letter said.  

The letter added that the mining operation was permitted as small-scale but they are using heavy equipments like backhoe, bulldozer and dump trucks.

Tanglanan added, the Petition was first filed to the Regional Office-9 of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and now had published its area projection showing map of the applied small-scale area by Diosdado Dioson as approved by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board represented by Governor Antonio H. Cerilles.

He said, based upon the said projection map through its technical description, the approved area is in Barangay Sigacad and not the other around. Therefore, it could be concluded that the operation was diverted from the applied against the actual mined area and shout be investigated.

The letter added, Tanglanan explained that in Section 16 of RA 7942 otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 as affirmed by Section 59 of RA 8371 (IPRA Law) that no ancestral land/domain shall be open for mining without the prior consent form the IPs community.  

“The mining operations is illegal because it has no Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) as granted in the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997 or RA 8371 (IPRA Law), therefore we vehemently condemns this mining operation and we are requesting our President Benigno Aquino III through the DENR Secretary the conduct of an investigation as requested by the IPs community for the greater benefit of the Subanen in the affected area and consequently bring the responsible persons to court if possible,” Tribal leader Tanglanan said.