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By JONG D. CADION
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga
del Sur (Aug. 4, 2014-MPF News) – The mining firm Toronto Ventures Incorporated
Resources Development (TVIRD) who has a mining operation in Sitio Balabag,
barangay Depore in Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur granted only 3 environmentalists representative
from the Philippine Learning Tour delegates following their request to visit
the area, Environmentalist Official said.
Iglesia
Filipina Independiente, Diocese of Pagadian City and co-convenor of the
Philippine Learning Tour Antonio N. Ablon said their visit in mining area in Bayog operated
by TVIRD is part of the 6-day tour of the environmentalists group in Zamboanga
del Sur dubbed as Philippine Learning Tour (PLT) started on August 1 to
culminate on August 6.
Bishop Ablon said a
group of environmentalists composed of 81 delegations including 10 Canadian
nationals spearheaded
by the People’s Defense of Patrimony Against Destructive Large-Scale Mining,
Environmental
Plunder and Development Aggression (PROTECT); Advocates for Peace (AdPeace);
and, church-based organizations.
Bishop Ablon also said that Monday morning they had requested the official of TVIRD for a visit in the mining area and after the negotiation of their request only 3 from their delegation were allowed to enter the mining site for security reasons. They will be escorted by 3 officials of the mining company, he said.
Bishop Ablon said that their group had decided and
identified the 3 members of Philippine Tour delegation to enter the mining site
including him, Rev. Desmond Jagger-Parsons the Chairman of the Board
of Directors of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives and Ms. Connie
Osorio and the 3 TVIRD Officials also identified as Community Relations
Officer Joneil Año, the Officer in-Charge Danny Halago and the Copyright Communications
Officer Kaycee Crisostomo.
Bishop Ablon added that the 3 of them were told to have signed
a waiver by the TVIRD Officials as a standard operating procedure (SOP) of the
company that in case of emergency or what happen to them while in the mining
area the TVIRD is not liable for their safety.
The group will be climbing to Sitio Balabag on board TVIRD
transportation tomorrow at 12:30 AM August 5, 2014 while the other remaining members
of the PLT will be waiting for the 3 members to be back at the Bayog Catholic Church
before the group will go back to Pagadian City before 4:00 PM.
Dipolog City Bishop
Jose Manguiran, PROTECT chairperson, said Wednesday the tour’s objective is in
pursuit of the gift of life and as expression of solidarity to the Indigenous
Peoples (IPs), whose ancestral domain was encroached by mining firms.
Manguiran said the
tour also aimed to verify the reported violation of human rights and the extent
of damages within the IPs ancestral domain.
Manguiran added
that the six-day
environment tour is in response to the appeal from the IPs and non-IPs whose
ancestral domain was destroyed by mining firms.
He said among the
places visited
are the proposed mining site in Midsalip town, mine site in Sitio Balabag, Barangay Depore
in Bayog town,
among others.
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