Professional Documents
Culture Documents
'Y'/
Republiha ng i'i li1.'int s
Koatr!*yr3(, i'?g fi.arorprxtai.ftS tra*lta@ rirg Filipiraas
(Cantmissioiton Hutran Righx aftha Phihpf inas)
IN RE: DISPII\CEMENT
COMPII\INT OF R-ESIDEI|ITSOF
DIDIPIO, KASIBU, NI,'EVA
VIZCAYA- [CHR-H-zoo8-ooSs
(sPL. REPORT) l
x----------:----_________-_x
RESOLUTION
CHR(IV) No.Aaofl-oo4
The ultimate goal of economicdevelopmentis to raise the quality of
life of cll people.To this end, the Statepromotesthe firll and efficient useof
its human and natural resourcesby encouragingprivate entities to invest in
key industries and business enterprises. However, when private entities
violate the fundamental rights and entitlements of the people in tle name
of economicdevelopment,they not only losetleir moral legitimacy * they
also defeatthe very purposefor which they were given authority to conduct
business. The present case is a classic aad lamentable example of how
economicaggresslondenigratesthe most basicof humaa rights.
, TITE REI'VANTFACTS
SOORDERED." iili
t
"{t
O 1June2oo7APMI changedits nameto OGPI;
In June 2oo8, reports and complaintswere filed with the CHR
alleging that OGPI had illegally ard violently demolishedsome r87 houses
ordersof demolitionfrom the court,unaccompanied by tle Sheriff,without
paymentof just compensation,and witlout providingalternativeoptions
for relocationand resettlement.Theseclemolitionswerereportedto have
been attendedby unnecessaryviolenceand destruction:residentswho
resistedand triecl to savettreir homeshad beenbeaten,including their
neighbourswho helpedthem; houseshad beenbulldozedoff eliffs and set
on fire. It was further allegedthat OGPIfencedoff large sectionsof the
roadsand pathwayswhich communityresidentshaverelied upon for the
past 30 yearsto transportpmducefrom their farmsto the market,It was
also reported that OGPI has set up checkpointsaround the Barangay,
causingtlem difficulty in movingabou! resultingin the unjust restriction
of t}reir socialand economicactivities.Moreover,it was allegedthat the
PNP-Regional Mobile Groupservesas a "private securityforce" of OGPI,
with their officersbeingstationedinsidethe facilitiesof tle latter.
y'r9ry
and NGO and communityleadersand members.During the Dialogue,
OGPIwas givenall opportunityto addressaneryallegationcastat them.
Likewise, the police was allowed to explain its participation in the
controversy, including the October oz dispersal. The Commission
requestedfrom tle participantsall pertinentdocumentsand remrclsthat
would havea bearingin the determinationof the human rights issuesin
Didipio.The stakeholderscompliedseveraldaysafter the PublicDialogue,
submittingvoluminousrecordsand documentsto supporttheir positions.
Muchof the documentscamefrom OGPIandthe NGOs.
5DESAMAs, al vs.cozunera,/,
c.R No. 157882,
30March2006.
This pronouncementof t]le SupremeCourt meanstlat Sectionro7 of the
IRR, in relation to SectionT6 of the PhilippineMining Act of 1995,only
applieswhen the surfaceownershavealreadyenteredinto an agreement
with tle permit holder,tle only controversybeingtle amountto bepaid as
just compensation.It doesnot applyin caseswherethe surfaceownersdo
not agreeto allow permit holdersentry to their lands.In suchcases,the
proper remedy would be for the permit holder, by itself or with the
assistanceof the State,to institute an expropriationproceedingin the
appropriatecourt, as providedunder Rule 67 of the Rulesof Court and
relevantjurisprudence.
Further, the Commissiontakesparticular note of OGPI'sapparent
schemeof "demolishnow, negotiatelater." This scbemeis problematigto
sayt}releast,asit pushesresidentsup againsttle wall.Thosewhosehouses
weredemolishedwithout their consent- someevenagainsttheir express
will - are now forcedto take the petty sum OGPIoffersin exchangefor
their homes and their lives in Didipio. The residentswere reducedto
acceptingOGPI'sofferandsuccumbing to thelatter'sunlarfrrl ploy.Worse,
a numberof residentswerenevercompensated at all.
While it maybe true that aboutseventy-frve (ZS%)of the resitlentsin
Didipio havealreadyenteredinto a voluntaryagreementwith OGPI,there
is still a considerablenumberof residentstlat has not enteredinto such
agreements. OGPIpositsthat muchof thesepeoplearenot reallyownersof
the land theyoccupy.Assumingwithout conceding,that thesepeoplewere
in fact illegal settlers,this doesnot give licenseto anyone,much less a
foreign-ownedcorporation,to mistreatottrers,in violation of &e dignity
tlat inheresin everyhuman.
Evenin thoseinstanceswhereevictionand demolitionarejustified,
internationalhumanright normsrequirethat theybe "carriedout in strict
compliancewith the relevantprovisionsof internationalhumanrights law
and in accordancewith general principles of reasonablenessand {r
proportionality."e "Evictions should not result in individuals being- / Uii
renderedhomelessor vulnerableto the violationofother humanrights."z
fi'. '
As tlis Commissionhas advisedpreviously demolitionsmust be lv:
conductedin a just and humanemanner.Certainly,in someinstances, ij
dgmol$ons may.be,legallyjustified. However,in no instance,legally oi
otherwise,can the deprivationof one'sshelterbe donein a manier that w
robsa personof his digniry.a $
\3
- FIAAs grart unto its holderthe State'sblessingto undertakemining
and other exfiactivevenhues,and all its necessaryincidents.within its
' CESCRCe4eralCormeff No.
7, Paragraph
14.
-ad,Paxagraph
I'Commission f6
o[ Humanfughts,Advisoryon the Codductof ForcedEvictioN andHouseDemolitions(06 May
2008).
patrimony.It is not carfe blanchefor the wholesaledenigrationof human
rightsof peoplewhostandto beaffectedby saidundertakings.
Article 12
No one shall be subjectedto arbitmry interferencewith his privacy,
family, home or correspondence, nor to attacksupon his honor and
reputation. Everyonehas the right to ttre protection of the law
againstsuchinterferenceor attacks.
Afiicle 13
(r) Bveryonehas tfie right to fteedom of movementand resi<ience
within ttre bordersof eachstate.
Article rz
r. Overyonelawfully within the territory of a State shall, within
that territory, havethe right to liberty of movementand fteedom
to choosehis residence.
Article r7
No one shall be zubjectedto arbitrary or unlawfirl interference
with his privacy, fanrily, home or correspondence,nor to
unlawftrl attackson his honor aad reputation.
2. Ereryonehasthe right to the protection of the law againstsuch
interferenceor attacks, (r
i \1'
In its GeneralCommentNo. e7 on Freedomof Movement,tle t,,
HumanRightsCommittee(HRC)clarifiesthat Article 12(1) of the ICCPR
entitles personsto move from one plape to another and to establish
themselvesin a placeof their choice.Theenjoymentof this right mustnot I
be made dependenton any particular purpose or reason and any t-1i' '+J
restrictionsthereofmust be in strict conformitywith law's Moreover,tle
HRCpointed out the obligationof Statesto ensurethe protectionof the
Right to Movement not only from public but also from private
interference.to
The HRCalsostatedtlat right to residein a placeof one's
choicewithin the territory includesprotectionagainstaUforms of forced
e^HRC
GeneralComme0tNo. 27. Psragaph5.
'"14, Paragraph6.
internal displacement. It also preeludespreventing tle enUy or stay of
personsin a definedpart of the territory."
/rL/t ol
^-
v<: 10
The Commission also observes that the Derimeter fences were
introduced in consciousdisregardof the rights of the residentsof Didipio.
No genuine consultation of the residents was ever had as to the
construction of said fences,much less as to its location. At the very least,
OGPI should have observed the basic principles of participatiou aud
transparencyif it really intended to respectthe rights of the residents in
Didipio.
ll
units in t}te areaeqnessedgraveconcernsthat tle situationwouldleadto
breakdownof peaceandorderin the province.
OGPIis largelyresponsiblefor the continuingthreatsto securityof
persons,given that it controls and supewisesthe actionsof its security
forces,andthat tle unlawfuldemolitionswereconductedat its behest.
'r
, /!t
6@:-
V. OGPI MUST EXDRCISEGREAT O\uIIoN IN EXPI,oITING TIIE WAIER
REsottRcEoF DIDIpro, posslBr.y ENDANGERTNG
rHE Comuurrry's
FTNDATT'ENTAIRIGHTTOAccESSTo CI.EANWATER.
- AII doubts as to the legal existenceof the Right to Water were finally
settled when tle UN GeneralAssemblyadopted Resolution64/L.6g on zB
July eoto declaring "the right to safe and clean drinking watir and
saaitation as a human right that is essentialfor the full eniottrent of life
and all human rights." Ttrus, the Right to Water is now idlntified as a
distinct human right.
*1,
- -Paragraqh,rr o{ CESCRGeneral Comment No. $ emphasizesthe
broad scopeof the-Rjght_toWater and puts in place a general'standardby /as
which to measurethe fulfillment of such a right: tx\'
'l',;
[.
"The.elem- €nts of-the right to water must be adequate for hnnfin .,tJ
\p
dignity, life and health, in accordancewith Articles ll(r) and rz.
+t
'' CESCRGederalConlaentNo. 15.
".other docr*Jrts thatrcferto tlrc right to waterincMe the following:theconventionotr theRightsof po^ons
wtthDisabilitiesithe Aficatr charteroD$e Rightsandwelfareoflhe cfild; tie pmtocolto theAriica! charteron
\s
turtrafl aooreopresRigr,tsotrtbetughtsof womenin Aftica; unitedNationsEconomiccormissioufor Europe
(JNECE)ProtocolonwateraM H€alth;Agadda21,adopted st theudted Nationsconferenco odEnviroDdent and
Development cJNcED); tha Mar del plataActionplan;theprog.'EmeofActior ofthe hteaationalconfercnc€
g.Pqp{aqo! a4 Development; The UN-Habitatptaa of A9tion; anddle variousR€solutions adoptcdby the
UnitedNationsCeneralAssombly andtheConmissionotrHumanRights,aswell asotheroxDertalocumonts.
I /-' .------.--
,tt 13
The adequacyof water shouldnot be interpretednarrowly, by mere
referenceto volumetric quantities and technologies.Water should
be treated as a social arid cultural goo4 and riot primarily as an
' economicsood,
-be lhe manner of tJrerealizationof the rieht to water
must also sustainableensuringtlat the right can b;realized for
presentard future generations."'8
t4
Althoug! thereis asyet no breachof a right-dutycorrelative,it is with
great cautiontlat OGPIshouldproceedwith its plan of diverting water
flowing through.the Tubo Creekand the DinauyanRiver - the Diilipio
community'sprimarysourcesof water- to facilitateits miningoperations,
as the sameposesa serioustlreat to the quantity and quality of the
community'sTryaterresources.
In termsof guanfitg,giventhe immensevolumeof waterrequiredto
processmineral ores,there is no certainty that an amount sufficient to
sustainthe communitiesin their day-to-daydomesticand agriculturaluses
shall be left. The local communitiescould ill-afford a warer resouroe-
intensive indusby such as mining competingwitl tleir domesticand
agriculturaluses,especiallysoin light of the swereandprotracteddrought
(El Nrno) the provincehasrecendysufferedfrom andis predictedto suffer
more frequenflyin the future becauseof climatechange.The Commission
alsonotesthat the provinceof NueraVizcayawasspecificallyidentifiedby
the Departmentof Agricultureas being particularly"vulnerable"2o to.the
- -
effectsof El lVino.2rAs such,cleanwater scarceasit is is boundto get
muchscarcer.o
In terms of qualitg, contaminateddischargesfrom the mine
processingplants and tailings pondscould seepinto the river systemsin
the areavihichcouldcausehuman,aaimalandenvironrnentalhazardsthat
would eventuallyrender the water unfit for any and all uses it has
traditionallybeenusedfor.,s
OGPI is thus advised to exerciseprudence and extraordinary
diligenceshould it utilize ttre Didipio's water resources,lest it violate
Didipio'sindigenouscommunity'shumanright to *ater.
xxx
z. The membersof the PNP CDM contingent sftall not cang ang
kind of frearms but may be equippedwith baton or riot sticks,
crashhelmetswith visor, gasmasks,boots or anlde-highshoeswitl
shin guartls(emphosrsaddedJ.
xxx ri
Sec. 6. CDM Operational Arproaches -
'i
n
xxx '"'#
xxx
CoNcLUsroN
18
of humanrights of the community
consciousaccountthe observance
involved;
SORESOLVED.
Donethis roe dayof Januaryzorr, QuezonCity,Philippines.
-c.\r\
/s'&r-&*f 6*k!-
LORETTA ANN P. ROSALESI
Chaimerson )#r
(ONLEAVE)
'u- q.A 4/.+
CECILIA RACIIEL V. QUISI'MBING MA. VICTORIA V,CARDONA
Commissioner
BY:
ATTESTED
AST'NCION I. O-MARAVILLA
Secretary
Comniission