Oceana Gold assailed for environment devastation

DIDIPIO, Nueva Vizcaya -- The Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (TFIP) urged the stoppage of mining operations of Oceana Gold here saying they support indigenous peoples in local folks and other parts of Nueva Vizcaya in their fight for recognition of their ancestral lands and against destructive mining  

The company’s financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA) contract with the Philippine government has expired, said Jill Carino, TFIP executive director. “We call on the government to not renew or extend Oceana Gold’s FTAA due to severe environmental damages and human rights violations it has committed.

“We condemn Oceana Gold for continuing its mining operations despite the expired contract and despite being issued with a restraining order by the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya.

“More than a decade of destructive mining has damaged the ecosystem and indigenous peoples’ livelihoods. Numerous violations of indigenous peoples’ rights occurred during their active operations such as forced evictions and burning of homes of indigenous and peasant families from 2008 to 2009.

Indigenous peoples’ organizations in Didipio submitted complaints to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau but they said the “MGB chose to be blind and deaf to the people’s plight and demands. They have allowed the continued operations of Oceana gold even without the renewal of its FTAA contract. President Duterte and the government should stop this “monster” from further ravaging Nueva Vizcaya, including the indigenous Ifugao and Ilongot people living in Kasibu.”

In their statement, they urged non-renewal of Oceana Gold’s FTAA and a stop to foreign-led and destructive mining in the Philippines.