Indigenous People Scores Vs. TVI Before Top Government and Mining Company Officials
Published by MAC on 2002-05-17
Indigenous People Scores Vs. TVI Before Top Government and Mining Company Officials
Tito Natividad Fiel, coordinator of DCMI - 17th May 2002
Sitio Canatuan, Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines - The Siocon Subanon Association Inc. (SSAI) led by Timuay Jose "Boy" Anoy made their feelings clear against TVI on the morning of May 8, before the top government and mining company officials here.
Onsino Mato, Secretary of SSAI, and Boy Anoy, the President of the said Indigenous Peoples organization maintained their statements that their rights as Indigenous Peoples have been violated by TVI Resource Development Philippines, a Canadian mining firm.
TVI has employed an economic and food blockade, establishing a structure in the area without securing the free, prior and informed consent from the legal and legitimate holder of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC), which is the SSAI, and violently dispersed the peaceful protest of SSAI against the presence of the the said company.
Anoy and Mato took the opportunity of voicing their sentiments before the following Philippine Government and Mining Company officials: Cliford James, TVI Pacific Group of Companies President; Jesus Duresa, Preisidential Assistant for Mindanao; Ging Dilis of National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC); Atty. Ruben Lingating Commssioner of National Commission on Indigenous People; Manuel Mamawag Regional Director of Region 9 of Commission on Human Rights here and many more officials.
Cliford James shook his head when Mato and Anoy spoke strongly before the said officials on the sentiments of their people against the company.These government officials are members of the Task Force Canatuan created by the Philippine Goverment to investigate the alleged human rights violations committed by TVI against the Subanon Indigenous People .
The Task Force was created after the Philippine Goverment received the letter from United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Population, when Onsino Mato of SSA spoke before the UNWGIP on July 2001 meeting in Geneva Switzerland against the TVI human rights violations.