Letter From Timuay Jose Boy Anoy, Reply To July 7 Inquirer Letter Of Tvi Rocky Dimaculangan

Letter from Timuay Jose Boy Anoy, reply to July 7 Inquirer letter of TVI Rocky Dimaculangan

17th July 2007

I have just recently read the letter of TVI Resources Development Philippines Inc Director for Public Affairs, Mr. Rocky Dimaculangan reacting to the reported human rights violations committed by TVI wherein he defended his employer by attacking me, my tribe and our sacred mountain. ("TVI explains side on Canatuan mining row" 7/5/07)

Mr. Dimaculangan's letter betrays the mindset of the mining industry by which our rights as indigenous peoples are being violated.

TVI has been in our ancestral domain for only 13 years and yet its employees like Mr. Dimaculangan had readily abrogated unto themselves the authority to identify who our tribal leaders are and to declassifly our hallowed grounds. In those 13 years, TVI security forces declared themselves as sole authority for the entry of Subanons into Mt. Canatuan, demanding of me a permit or gate pass for me to enter my own area, and accosting and hurting my daughter for traversing in "TVI roads".

I understand Mr. Dimaculangan's gall in claiming that Mt. Canatuan is not sacred, one cannot hold sacred something if his pay depends on it being ravaged and razed to the ground. The same holds true for Mr. Dimaculangan's so called tribal leaders who he claims gave their consent, in exchange for royalties and employment.

Perhaps Mr. Dimaculangan has not been informed but his superiors TVIRD VP for Operations Yulo Perez and VP for Social Commitment Feliz Yeban, had been referring to me as Timuay (Tribal Chief), especially now that TVI has applied for expansion of its operations inside our ancestral domain. Being the recognized traditional tribal leadership structure by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, the TVI needs our tribal council's Free, Prior and Informed Consent for its planned expansion.

Last June 17, TVI VP Feliz Yeban came to woo our council at the tribal hall of the Apu Manglang Gluba Pusaka where I hold court as direct blood descendant of Apu Manglang. In asking for our consent for TVI expansion, she asked forgiveness for the human rights violations that TVI committed in the past and promised it won't happen again.

Mr. Dimaculangan, please be guided accordingly.

Timuay Jose Boy Anoy
Tribal Chieftain
Apu Manglang Glupa Pusaka
Brgy Candiz, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte