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INTEX PUBLIC HEARING IN VICTORIA THWARTED
Victoria, Oriental Mindoro 15 May 2009
A Public Hearing to be conducted by Environmental and Management Bureau (EMB) for Mindoro Nickel Project of Intex Resources was cancelled due to strong public opposition of the people led by the Municipal Government of Victoria, different Churches and affected sectors of the stakeholder communities including the Mangyan indigenous peoples.
A big crowd of around 3,000 people gathered in the Municipal Hall of Victoria early morning to prevent the hearing and to demand that mining moratorium of the province be respected. The Provincial Governor, Arnan C. Panaligan, sent his representative, Provincial Legal Officer, Atty. Lorebelle Tanyag, to serve the cease and desist order to stop the hearing in case they proceed with their activity. The anti-mining group was led by Mayor Alfredo Ortega Jr., Vice Mayor Luis Castillet, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Fr. Norman Cusi, the town's parish priest, and Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN) - Victoria Chapter. The plan to march to the venue of the Public Hearing to stage a protest action was found to be no longer necessary. Intex Resources posted a Notice to the Public in the venue of the hearing declaring that "the Mindoro Nickel Project Public Consultation scheduled for May 15, 2009 is indefinitely postponed." The Notice was signed for Atty. Leo Cleto Gamolo, President and General Manager of Intex Resources Philippines. There was jubilation in the crowd when the Notice was read for this is another victory like what happened the other day in the Municipality of Pola (home town of Vice President Noli de Castro) when the Public Hearing was cancelled due to peoples' unwavering opposition and their determination to implement the moratorium ordinance. In the afternoon, with many of the people not having lunch, the crowd marched along the municipal highway to bring their protest in front of Intex Office in Brgy. Mabini. Representatives of the different sectors made their appeal for the company to stop mining and to refrain from fooling the people and bribing the poor, including some politicians. At the end of the program, a ceremonial serving of eviction order was held. Protest placards were placed in front of Intex office, while a written notice was posted on the gate, with bold letters declaring: "You are now served noticed of eviction by the people of Mindoro." For more information: Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez Mangyan Mission/ALAMIN Provincial Secretariat Email: edugariguez@yahoo.com Mobile Phone No. 09198005595 |
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