Promotion Of Church People's Response (pcpr) Press Statement
Published by MAC on 2004-12-02Source: Promotion of Church People's Response
Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) Press Statement
December 2, 2004
Supreme Court Reversal on the Mining Act of 1995: Supreme Disaster for the Filipino People; Supreme Violation of Charter Provisions on National Patrimony and Sovereignty
Calling it a 'supreme disaster and betrayal against the Filipino people,' the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) declared today that the recent decision of the Supreme Court in favor of foreign mining corporations
must be junked in order to avoid the deadly consequences of massive logging and mining operations such as the reported deaths of over 400 Filipinos in the massive flooding and landslides in the Quezon province.
"Giving fresh license for unhampered mining and logging operations of foreign corporations in the Philippines is tantamount to sacrificing even more lives when the impact of natural calamities could have been minimized through total ban on large-scale logging and mining firms. This decision of the high court is immoral as it legalizes the total sell-out of our natural resources to transnational (TNC) mining firms, the massive displacement of indigenous peoples from the mineral-rich ancestral lands, destruction of forests and pollution of water systems in the course of open pit mining operations," Rev. Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche, OFM, PCPR National Chairperson stated.
On January 29, 1994, the Filipino people scored a victory for national patrimony and sovereignty when the Supreme Court ruled that the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (Republic Act of 1995) is unconstitutional. "We are greatly dismayed and outraged over this reversal of the Supreme Court's earlier decision. In gross violation of constitutional provisions on the protection of Philippine patrimony and sovereignty, the votes of ten (10) Justices to allow 100% foreign ownership and control over the 'exploration, development, exploitation and use of the country's mineral resources' is obviously in tune with the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government's plan to attract more foreign investors in the mining industry as a so-called solution to the fiscal crisis," PCPR stated.
"Contrary to her declaration of crackdown against illegal loggers, no less than Pres. Arroyo is accountable for the continuous destruction of the environment, massive death, displacement and sufferings of the people that result from the government's mining liberalization and other pro-elite and pro-TNC policies," PCPR concluded.
PCPR will join the protest rally led by the KALIKASAN-People's Network for the Philippine Environment at the Supreme Court in P. Faura, Manila this morning.
Reference:
Rev. Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche, OFM
PCPR National Chairperson
Contact: 4107623