Boracay-style halt to Cordi small-scale mining imposed

20K miners displaced; operators’ arrest set Oct. 1 

ITOGON, Benguet -- Authorities will launch a crackdown on illegal miners here starting Oct 1, after the landslide at the height of typhoon Ompong buried alive around a hundred miners and their families when they sought refuge in a bunkhouse and a church.

Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Francis Tolentino said the stop order on all small scale mining operation in the whole of Cordillera will be implemented.

Tolentino told local and foreign media in an interview last week President Rodrigo Duterte's order will be implemented.

"Like the closure of Boracay for rehabilitation nobody thought it will transpire," he said.

President Duterte had earlier issued an executive order mandating a six-month closure of Boracay Island to give way for its rehabilitation.

In an advisory released Monday,  the National Task Force – Mining Challenge (NTF MC) said it will arrest all miners who will continue to operate in mine sites declared for closure under Oplan Itogon.

“They will be immediately restrained, read his rights, informed of his violation and brought to police precinct for further questioning and possibly filing of a case against his person,” said Senior Supt. Lyndon Alimorong Mencio, Benguet police director.

The measure is in line with the stoppage order by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources on all small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera Region after the tragic landslides that killed a number of residents.

The operation will be implemented by members of NTF MC together with personnel from the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and National Bureau of Investigation.

“May mga technical persons para ayusin ang operasyon towards regulation pa rin,” said Santiago Bugnosen, a member of the Technical Working Group, Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Miners confused

However, some miners said they were confused about the situation.

This is because, according to engineer Lomino Kaniteng, president of Benguet Small-Scale Miners Federation, the government has just asked for a list of affected miners once the mine sites are closed.

Kaniteng said around 20,000 miners from 88 associations are likely to suffer job cuts in Benguet.

This is apart from other miners living outside of the Cordillera Region.

“Nalilito tayo rito dahil parang hindi coordinated ang gobyerno dito sa stoppage order…because it has domino effect, it affects economics, it affects social, it affects education, it affects livelihood,” said Kaniteng.

What is important for them now is the government’s promise of financial assistance once the stoppage order takes effect on Oct. 1.

“Iyon nga ang pamilya namin, iyong immediate na kailangan gaya ng mga pagkain, kahit merong ibinibigay ang gobyerno, iyong immediate na pang matrikula,” said one miner.

The group will appeal to DENR to reconsider and restudy its stoppage order on complete ban of small-scale mining in the region.

This, as Tolentino said the stop order, despite the number of persons and families to be affected, will be implemented like how the government imposed its political will on Boracay.

Tolentino said the Boracay closure experience is proof that despite the non-belief of many the closure will actually be implemented, it materialized, showing that the Presidents order for the protection of the environment in an area is unquestionable and is will be implemented.

During a press conference facilitated by Presidential Spokesman Secretary Harry Roque on Sept. 17 at the Benguet provincial capitol, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu announced the effectivity of a cease and desist order of all small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

This came after a closed-door briefing by the DENR-CAR officials in relation to the landslide in Barangay Ucab, Itogon that killed scores of people during Typhoon "Ompong" last Sept. 15.

“In view of this current situation in CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), to prevent further danger in the lives of small-scale miners, I officially ordered the cease and desist of all illegal small-scale mining operations in the whole of CAR,” Cimatu said.

Small scale mining contracts cancelled

Cimatu also ordered the cancellation of the 10 small scale mining contracts issued by the MGB to SSM associations pending approval of their applications for "Minahang Bayan".

The contract legitimized the operation of the SSM groups.

During the visit of President Duterte in Benguet on the same day, where he met with families of victims, and was briefed of the incident, the President expressed support to Cimatu's CDO order.

"We need a respite, inactivity sa soil and watershed,” Duterte said.

The President mentioned mining pollutes the water and it is not worth the P70 billion they contribute to the coffers.

“If I have my thing, I would close, never mind the money,” he said.

Tolentino said after Cimatu ordered the closure, he immediately convened a meeting attended by cabinet officials and government agency representatives to discuss how the closure order will be implemented as well as the possible solution to livelihood issues.

“Secretary Cimatu ordered that closure,” Duterte said. “I immediately convened a small Cabinet brainstorming specifically the head of social welfare, if she can work a cash for work program, DA (Dept. of Agriculture) if they have funding for this, the DENR, they have re-greening program. We will converge all of these.”