MANILA, Nov. 19, 2009- A day after the government suspended the environmental clearance it gave to a Norwegian mining firm, protesters on a hunger strike since Tuesday refused to withdraw their agitation till the proposed mining project in Mindoro is junked.
Meanwhile, some officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday claimed the demonstrators were leaving the area for their hometowns.
But there was simmering discontent among the hunger strikers led by two Catholic priests, many of whom said there was no clear sign that the government will heed their demand.
Fr. Edwin Gariguez said they decided yesterday night to continue the protest after founding some loopholes in the order by DENR Sec. Lito Atienza suspending the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued to Intex Resources Corp. for the project.
The priest from the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan said some crucial agreements made during the dialogue with the government leader were not contained in the order Atienza issued after meeting with protesters.
"We're really disappointed with what happened," said Fr. Gariguez who is one of the hunger strikers.
For this reason, the 25 hunger strikers, mostly Mangyans, are not going home just yet.
"Mindoro hunger strike will continue," he added.
The church official said Atienza did not even consider the mining moratorium in Mindoro, which for him, showed that reviving the project is still imminent.
Demonstrators feared a resumption of the large-scale mining project upon full compliance by Intex with all the conditions in the environmental clearance.
Mindoro residents and local officials had rejected the project, adding that the mining firm's ECC was issued by Atienza without proper consultation.
The ECC allows for the extraction of nickel ore covering 11,216 hectares of mining tenement, a big part of which is identified as critical watershed catchment of Mag-asawang Tubig and Bucayao River systems.
Protesters said the project would displace around 20,000 members of indigenous tribes, affect the agricultural output and food security of the island and threaten conservation areas of the Philippine Tamaraw and tourist spots like the popular Puerto Galera beach.
Twenty members of indigenous tribes, priests and residents of the island started a hunger strike Tuesday to dramatize their strong objection to the project.
Fr. Gariguez criticized the government for adhering to business interests over the welfare of the people who suffer much from the ill effects of mining operations. (Roy Lagarde)