Priest's hunger strike claims
GLT
PHILIPPINES Priest's hunger strike claims initial victory
December 9, 2009
CALAPAN CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- The government has suspended
permission for a mining company to operate in Mindoro Oriental
province after a priest and indigenous people there staged a hunger
strike.
For Father Edwin Gariguez, however, the fight is far from over.
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Father Edwin Gariguez signs a manifesto by hunger strikers
The priest, who works in Calapan vicariate's mission to indigenous
Mangyan people, is a member of Alliance against Mining (ALAMIN). He
says the group is "contemplating legal action to enforce moratoriums
on Mindoro Island."
Mindoro Oriental province passed an ordinance in 2002 banning large-
scale mining for 25 years. Five municipal governments in Mindoro
Occidental, the other province on the island, also have passed mining
moratoriums.
Through the recent hunger strike, the priest and other ALAMIN members,
including Mangyan people, opposed nickel mining operations by the
Norwegian Intex corporation. Intex plans to extract 100-120 million
tons of nickel ore over 15-20 years in the two Mindoro provinces,
beginning in 2011.
ALAMIN claims the environmental clearance certificate (ECC) that
Joselito Atienza Jr., secretary of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources and Environment, gave to the company is illegal. It
says the certificate was issued despite the opposition of provincial
and local governments, and residents in affected communities.
The group also cites anticipated damage to watersheds, farms and
forests.
"Mining moratoriums should be imposed not only on Mindoro Island, but
in other places of the Philippines to stop destruction and pollution
of nature," Father Gariguez said.
He and Father Ruben Villanueva Jr., vicar general of San Jose
vicariate in Mindoro Occidental, were among the 24 people who began
their hunger strike outside the environment department's national
office, near Manila, on Nov. 17.
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Catholic priests bless people who started a hunger
strike Nov. 17 outside the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources national headquarters
They took only water. On Nov. 26, Atienza suspended the ECC pending an
independent investigation.
Father Gariguez, appearing thinner just after returning to Mindoro
from the strike, said a letter that Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo
of Manila published in a national newspaper was "crucial" to the
strikers' "victory."
Bishop Pabillo, head of the Philippine bishops' National Secretariat
for Social Action, Justice and Peace, had urged Atienza to "have the
courage to revoke" the ECC.
The bishop and a number of Divine Word and other priests had visited
the strikers in their tents to celebrate Mass with them.
The Church, together with ALAMIN, is also seeking to repeal the Mining
Act of 1995, which allows foreign investors to conduct large-scale
mining operations in the country.
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