Reyes Eyeing Diwalwal’s Gold for 2004 Elections?
Published by MAC on 2003-07-23
Reyes Eyeing Diwalwal’s Gold for 2004 Elections?
23 July 2003
The Philippine government wants to take control of the world class gold ore deposit in Diwalwal, southern Mindanao However it has not so far been able to do so, because of the alleged complicity of some military personnel employing small scale miners who previously worked the depoists.
It is these artisanal miners that stand to suffer when the government "Task Force" moves in to control the operations, flood them with the military and then transfer them to a mining multinational,
The government also recently formed an investment arm to look into both Diwalwal and other government owned mining corporations and mined out areas. This is part of an effort to finally implement the much-criticised Philippine Mining Act of 1995. In the following article, local leader, Franco Tito accses the government of pushing through the Diwalwal plan, in order to raise funds for the next election. But perhaps more so, the more is designed to show prospective investors in mining that the government is in charge. Understandably some some military personnel do not want mining companies to take sole control of the area. The situation is ripe for serious conflict.