Bishop Of Dipolog Dismayed Over His Meeting With Canadian Embassy Officials In Manila

Bishop of Dipolog Dismayed over his Meeting with Canadian Embassy Officials in Manila

By Tito Natividad Fiel, DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI)

12th August 2007

Dipolog City - Most Rev. Jose R. Manguiran, the Bishop of the Diocese of Dipolog, was dismayed by his meeting with Canadian Embassy officials in Manila on Thursday 9th August.

The Bishop of Dipolog, who is also in charge of DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI), has constantly highlighted the problems caused by the Canadian mining company TVI Pacific in Mount Canatuan. He presented these to Canadian Embassy officials in Manila, who have so far supported the company's mining operation. Officials from Kairos Canada, an ecumenical human rights, justice and peace organization, together with Philippine partners, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the Center for Environmental Concern, accompanied the Bishop to the Embassy. "I was really dismayed over the meeting with Canadian Embassy officials.

It seems that while they are coming from thousands of miles away from Siocon Zamboanga del Norte, that they are more knowledgeable on the issue of my people than me,?" Bishop Manguiran told his staff. "Although it is understandable that the Embassy officials defend TVI, because it is a Canadian firm and the truth of its human rights abuses would affect the image of Canada and its Government, it'?s very unfair of the Canadian Government to defend companies like TVI in the Philippines, while preserving its own resources and environment," Bishop Manguiran pointed out.

He declared that the Canadian Government had much influenced the crafting of the 1995 Philippine Mining Act, and was disappointed that the Philippine Government has also defended TVI as a responsible miner, in spite of the reported grave abuses it has perpetrated.