Reds own 'punitive' attacks on Ilocos,

Compostela Valley mining firms

By: InterAksyon.com
April 13, 2014 3:06 PM
A New People's Army fighter takes aim !i"eo gra# from http:$$www%philippi&ere!ol'tio&%&et$(
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MAN)*A, Philippi&es ++ ,omm'&ist re#els -laime" respo&si#ility for re-e&t atta-ks o& mi&i&g
firms i& )lo-os .'r a&" ,ompostela /alley, -alli&g these p'&iti!e a-tio&s for the -ompa&ies0
allege" e&!iro&me&tal "estr'-tio& a&" a#'ses agai&st workers of i&"ige&o's people%
)& )lo-os .'r, the New People0s Army0s pro!i&-ial '&it, the Alfre"o ,esar ,omma&", sai" it
#'r&e" a "iamo&"+"rilli&g ma-hi&e of 1reeport M-Mora&+Phelps 2o"ge i& Bara&gay Patia-a&,
3'iri&o tow& 1ri"ay, April 11, 4to p'&ish the sai" -ompa&y for fo'r years of "estr'-ti!e
e5ploratio& a&" to s'pport the -omm'&ity0s o!erwhelmi&g re6e-tio& of the e5te&sio& of the
-ompa&y0s e5ploratio& pro6e-t i& a refere&"'m last April 2, 2014%7
8he NPA0s ,om/al+2a!ao 9'lf .'#+regio& .'#+regio&al ,omma&", o& the other ha&", sai" it
ha" 4"eto&ate" e5plosi!es7 agai&st troops of the Army0s :th )&fa&try Battalio& at the Masara
Ape5 8e&eme&t ,omple5 i& ,ompostela /alley o& .at'r"ay i& what it -alle" a 4follow+'p to a&
earlier s'--essf'l ta-ti-al offe&si!e whe& ;e" fighters '&"er the 6th P'la&g Baga&i ,ompa&y
a&" the 9'errilla 1ro&t 2< =peratio&s ,omma&", a&" 9'errilla 1ro&t 2 =peratio&s ,omma&"+
NPA impose" p'&iti!e sa&-tio& agai&st the >.+ow&e" .t% A'g'sti&e 9ol" a&" ,opper *t"%, a&"
Malaysia+ow&e" Ape5 mi&i&g, two #iggest foreig& mi&i&g firms i& .o'ther& Mi&"a&ao o& April <
a&" 10, respe-ti!ely%7
48he -ompa&ies grossly a&" repeate"ly !iolate" reg'latio&s of the People's 2emo-rati-
9o!er&me&t with regar"s to e&!iro&me&tal prote-tio&, workers' welfare a&" people's li!elihoo",7
2a&iel )#arra, spokesma& of the Mi&"a&ao re#el -omma&", sai"%
Arma&"o .il!a, spokesma& of the )lo-os .'r re#els, -alle" the atta-k o& 1reeport M-Mora&+
Phelps 2o"ge 4the NPA0s a-t of '&iti&g with the wi"esprea" oppositio& of the people of
Patia-a& a&" the e&tire m'&i-ipality of 3'iri&o agai&st the o&goi&g e5ploratio& pro6e-t i&
Patia-a& a&" sitio Malite& of Bara&gay *aylaya%7
48he re!ol'tio&ary mo!eme&t remai&s firm i& its oppositio& to large+s-ale mi&i&g of foreig& a&"
lo-al mi&i&g -ompa&ies like 1reeport M-Mora&+Phelps 2o"ge whi-h will o&ly pl'&"er the
a&-estral la&"s a&" &at'ral reso'r-es of the people a&" wreak ha!o- o& their e&!iro&me&t,
li!elihoo" a&" -omm'&ities,7 he a""e"%
.il!a sai" Phelps+2o"ge, o&e of the worl"0s largest -opper pro"'-ers, 4ow&s the -ompa&ies
Makilala whi-h has a& e5ploratio& pro6e-t -o!eri&g 2,<1: he-tares i& Pasil, ?ali&ga a&" a&other
large area i& the Bi-ol regio&@ a&" Mali#ato whi-h has a& e5ploratio& appli-atio& -o!eri&g more
tha& 11,1AB he-tares of Mo'&tai& Pro!i&-e, A#ra a&" )lo-os .'r%7
Ce a-k&owle"ge" that after the firm0s #i" for a& e5ploratio& pro6e-t i& Patia-a& met stro&g
oppositio& i& 2006 a&" was agai& re6e-te" i& a 200: refere&"'m, Phelps 2o"ge se-'re" a two+
year agreeme&t from the -omm'&ity i& May 2010 o& three -o&"itio&s: -o&-reti&g of the roa" to
the #ara&gay, s-holarships for the -hil"re& of Patia-a& a&" employme&t for the people of
Patia-a&%
Cowe!er, #e-a'se of the firm0s allege" fail're to -omply with these -o&"itio&s, its #i" to e5te&"
its e5ploratio& was re6e-te" i& a& April 2012 refere&"'m a&" agai& i& the o&e hel" early this
mo&th%
Mea&while, )#arra sai" the NPA rai" o& the fi!e mi&i&g t'&&els of Ape5 i& Masara, Ma-o tow&
"estroye" hea!y eD'ipme&t a&" se!eral !ehi-les while se!eral porta#le "rills were "estroye" at
the .t% A'g'sti&e mi&e i& Pa&t'ka& tow&%
8he re#el spokesma& sai" the Ape5 was atta-ke" for the followi&g reaso&s:
1% 41ail're to stop e5pa&sio& of '&"ergro'&" a&" ope&+pit mi&i&g operatio&s "espite
war&i&gs iss'e" i& April a&" =-to#er 2013
2% E5pa&sio& of mi&i&g operatio&s i& reser!e" forest areas i& Ma-o that were "efi&e" #y
the orga&s of politi-al power i& the area's g'errilla #ase
3% 1ail're to a""ress a&" i&"em&ify -as'alties after two la&"sli"es that also wipe" o't
Bara&gay Mai&it, Ma-o% 8he Ape5 Mi&i&g ,orporatio& has -a'se" wi"esprea"
e-ologi-al "estr'-tio& a&" the massi!e "ispla-eme&t of peasa&t a&" *'ma" families
si&-e the 1:<0s% 8he alrea"y "amage" soil has -a'se" la&"sli"es a&" flash floo"s e!e&
with mi&imal mo&soo& rai&s a&" storms%
4% *ow wages at P301 "aily, retre&-hme&t a&" threat of retre&-hme&t of its mi&i&g workers
#y F'&e this year
A% 1ail're to -omply with its respo&si#ility to reha#ilitate streams a&" #ri"ges i& Ma-o as
part of the reparatio& "eal it sig&e" with :1 families i& Bara&gay 8ag#ar's, EliGal"e,
Pa&i#asa&, Pa&a&ga& a&" Malam'"ao, who were affe-te" #y .'pertyphoo& Pa#lo i&
2e-em#er 4, 2012%
6% ,ompa&y's a-ti!e role i& f'&"i&g a&" #a-ki&g the :th )&fa&try Battalio&'s -o'&ter+
re!ol'tio&ary operatio&s agai&st the NPA that has le" to the "eath of -i!ilia&, Hilmar
Bargas a&" ar#itrary !iolatio& of h'ma& rights of resi"e&ts a&" small+s-ale mi&ers%7
=& the other ha&", he -laime" .t% A'g'sti&e 4wa&to&ly !iolate" re!ol'tio&ary poli-ies whe& they
operate" o'tsi"e of their te&eme&ts, a&" "'e to setti&g 'p of military o'tposts, -o&"'-ti&g
reg'lar seiG're a&" -he-k+'p of thi&gs #ro'ght i& a&" o't #y small+s-ale mi&ers, -o&trolli&g of
mo!eme&t of -i!ilia&s, a&" aggressi!e psy-hologi-al warfare agai&st tri#al lea"ers thro'gh "ole+
o't pro6e-ts%7