Mob blocks road to Lepanto mine drill site

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

MANKAYAN, Benguet -- In a bid to stop the delivery of fencing material to one of the mine drill sites in the Far Southeast project of the Lepanto Copper Mining Corporation (LCMC) and prevent law enforcers from delivering a lawful court order, around a hundred men and women blocked the road at sitioPalatong leading to sitioMadaymen, Barangay Tabio in Mankayan Monday last week.

Deputy Sherrif Henry Longay who led eight other sherrifs belonging to several Regional Trial Court branches in Benguet Province in delivering the special order penned by Judge Agapito K. Laoagan, Jr. of RTC Branch 64, said he did not expect a mob of protesters to block the road with a diagonally parked tow truck, thinking that the confrontation would take place at the drill site in sitioMadaymen.

Longay and the sheriffs who were assisted by more than 70 policemen called in from stations in Mankayan, Buguias and Camp Dangwa and led by P/Supts. Glen Lonogan and Darnel Dulnuan, reached sitioPalatong on 12 police mobile vehicles at around 6 o’clock and were surprised to find farmer-residents already standing arm-in-arm, shoulder to shoulder behind the tow truck.

As the morning sun warmed the tense atmosphere and thirty minutes after Longay explained to the barricade leaders their position and purpose, the protesters turned into an unruly mob and started shouting invectives at the law enforcers, clearly indicating that they were determined to fight and hold their posts.   

 This only showed that the protesters would not obey the court order and would not listen to any explanation, Longay observed.

 At this point, and in compliance to the Writ of Preliminary Injunction issued by Judge Laoagan, the police were ordered to force open the barricades and arrest any of the protesters who pushed back the law enforcers.

 The police were able to pull away one unidentified protester who was immediately handcuffed and brought to a waiting police mobile.

 Laoagan’s special order stated in part, “… upon orders of the said  sherrifs and when circumstances so warrant, shall arrest anyone who defies, resists, and/or thwarts the enforcement of the said writ.”

 While the police were breaking open the barricade and trying to arrest more defiant protesters, their supporters behind the tow truck became violent and started to throw rocks, seriously hitting Dulnuan’s mouth.

Seeing Dulnuan bloodied in the face, Atty. Lyman Salvador of the Commission on Human Rights said, “this is mob rule.”

 At the same time this prompted Longay to seek the assistance of Atty. Richard Kilaan, the protesters’ counsel, thinking that he might be able to pacify the aggressive mob of protesters.

Longay who talked to Kilaan through his mobile phone said the latter promised to appear after his court hearing that morning, however hours passed and the protesters’ counsel did not show up.

Some elected politicians who were at the scene tried to persuade Longay and the law enforcers to postpone enforcement of Laoagan’s order but were apparently “not keen” on asking the protesters to remove their barricade at sitioPalatong.

One Virgilio Antonio who claimed to be an in-law of a legitimate landowner of the area where the drilling machine was assembled last January said the protesters were determined to fight the delivery of the court order.

“Haan met sigurongadakes nu protectaran mi tikarebbengan mi,” (maybe it is not wrong to protect our rights) he told this writer.

Over at sitio Madaymen, LCMC personnel were able to deliver the G.I. poles to be used for fencing the drill site by detouring through another route.

Longay confirmed later that they were able to deliver the rest of the fencing material to the premises of the drill site successfully and that installing the fences may commence by weekend.

Meanwhile, an interview with a landowner at sitio Madaymen who refused to divulge his identity said, six of the eight families who were the true owners of the controversial land where the drilling machine was installed were already paid by Lepanto.

The other two however, refused to accept payment considering a pending case of overlapping properties and for other reasons.

While a new agreement between the mining exploration applicant and the landowners was recently signed this year, some residents mentioned about an old agreement with Lepanto that was made in the early 90s that would expire in three years.

They said most of the contents of the old agreement were not fulfilled, which could be the reason why they were now defiant of the court order.  

 On the other hand, it was learned that Lepanto has a land title in its possession over the controversial drill site area that was upheld by the court. -- marchfianza777@yahoo.com