Bishops want Truth Commission vs environmental crimes

Now that he has formed a Truth Commission for graft and corruption cases, President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III may want to form a similar body to deal with environmental crimes. Catholic bishops made the call as they lamented that many environmental crimes lack closure and many affected communities continue to suffer. San Fernando Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David noted that for one, no mining company has been prosecuted so far when it comes to mining disasters. “We are also seeking environmental justice," David said in an article on the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). One of the disasters that the prelates hope the government would look into is the "Marcopper mining disaster" in Marinduque, the country’s largest mining disaster so far. The incident involves the Marcopper Mining Corporation which has been carrying out an open-pit copper mining operation in Mt. Tapian, Marinduque since the 1970s. In August 1995, around 1.6 million cubic meters of tailings (slime, slickens, or residue) leaked from the pit and polluted 27 kilometers of the Makulapnit-Boac river and nearby coastal areas. Rice fields and vegetable gardens were destroyed while fish, freshwater shrimps, and pigs were killed. Aside from the Marcopper mining disaster, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes also pushed for the investigation of the mine tailing spillage in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay. In October 2005, cyanide and other contaminants from the Australian mining company Lafayette spilled into the sea and around Rapu-rapu Island. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the mining industry in the country has been a “curse" to many people. “We doubt if there’s responsible mining. The current law is not responsive and even its execution is not good," said Pabillo, who also heads the CBCP's National Secretariat for Social Action- Justice and Peace. “I encourage the DENR to be more protective of our heritage and the human rights of our people," added Pabillo. The bishops also noted the rising number of affected communities, human rights violations, and economic problems brought about by mining disasters. On Thursday, Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and CBCP officials, led by their president Nereo Odchimar, attended a Bishops-Legislators Forum on the Mineral Management Policy. According to an article of the Union of Catholic Asian News, Paje said the “Republic Act (R.A.) 7942 (Mining Act of 1995) must be changed." During the forum, attended by around 50 participants, Paje said the current Philippine mining law favors investment, allowing foreign companies to have a full-ownership of a mining firm in the country. Paje says the challenge is how to use the country’s rich mineral resources while conserving and protecting the environment. “That is where the challenge lies. How can we utilize the resources while not compromising biodiversity," he says. He believes the inclusion of “resource valuation" in the current mining law, would be a positive move. “There should be thorough evaluation and completely value biodiversity," he says. Paje appeals for collaboration to help ensure “responsible mining," adding that mining should not be a source of conflict between government and the Church. Paje also says the government should respect the decisions of local communities, especially indigenous peoples groups, on whether to allow mining in their areas or not. –VVP, GMANews.TV