Abrenians oppose mining project

BANGUED, Abra -- Upland farmers belonging to the Binongan indigenous community of Baay-Licuan, Abra have organized themselves into two groups in an effort to prevent the operations of Canadian mining firm Olympus Pacific Minerals in their town.

The Baay-Licuan Intay Salakniban and Baay-Licuan Takderan Omnu a Karbengan vowed to oppose the mining projects of Olympus and other foreign mining companies that may venture deep in the tribe’s ancestral domain. BLIS and Balitok condemned Olympus for conducting exploration in Capcapo, which is part of their ancestral domain, without securing free, prior and informed consent, as required by the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act.

Olympus had tied up with Abra Mining and Industrial Co. and Jabel Mining to prospect for minerals in the area and had been drilling there since February 2007. Residents, opposing the exploration, had petitioned the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to stop the activities of the Canadian firm. NCIP in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) managed to stop the operations only on Aug. 30, 2007.

Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance secretary general Windel Bolinget said Olympus should stop all its activities because the people have already aired their opposition to the mining operations.

"The CPA will continue to support the Baay-Licuan community in their struggle to defend their ancestral domain from destructive projects," he said. It is only now that Olympus has scheduled a series of meetings with the people of Barangays Lenneng, Bunglo, Poblacion, Caoayan, Dominglay, Mogao, Bulbulala, Tumalip, Nalbuan and Subagan but the residents would most likely junk the plea of Olympus, the CPA leader said.

Bolinget also denounced the harassment of CPA members and community leaders in Barangay Poblacion who were doing the groundwork for the 24th edition of the Cordillera Day. He said members of the 41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army tagged them as members of the New People’s Army.

"Branding organizations and community leaders as NPA members makes them open targets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), giving them a license to attack and violate the rights of civilians and communities whose activities and commitment to defend their lives, ancestral domain and resources are but just and legitimate," Bolinget said. The celebration of Cordillera Day will be held in Baay-Licuan. – Marvyn Benaning