Philippines: Defend Patrimony demands permanent closure of Rapu-Rapu mine, accountability and responsibility from Arroyo, DENR and Lafayette

YOU ARE HERE: Home » All Entries, Press Releases & Statements » Philippines: Defend Patrimony demands permanent closure of Rapu-Rapu mine, accountability and responsibility from Arroyo, DENR and Lafayette

PUBLISHED ON December 20, 2007 AT 10:11 AM

Philippines: Anti-mining elder arrested in Rapu-Rapu rally

Philippines: Investors back out of Arroyo’s flagship mining project in Rapu-Rapu

Anti-mining liberalization alliance Defend Patrimony today pressed for the permanent closure of the Arroyo administration’s first foreign-owned showcase mining project in the Philippines owned by financially-troubled Lafayette Mining Limited (LML) of Australia.

LML owns 74% of Lafayette Philippines Inc. which runs an open-pit mine in Rapu-Rapu island in Albay. LML Board of Directors yesterday declared that they will be undergoing ‘voluntary administration’, transferring control of the company’s business, property, and affairs to Australia-based administrator Ferrier Hodgson under Rod Sutton and Peter McCluskey after repeatedly failing to pay its liabilities on time.

At a protest action in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Main Office in Quezon City today, environmental activists united under Defend Patrimony pressed Environment Secretary Lito Atienza to immediately support the permanent closure of the Lafayette mine and set in place mechanisms for the rehabilitation of the area and renumeration or compensation for mining-affected communities.

“The recent bankruptcy of Lafayette should once and for all convince the government to totally close the mining operations in Rapu-Rapu island,” Clemente Bautista Jr., a convenor of Defend Patrimony alliance and National Coordinator for Kalikasan Peoples’ Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), said in a statement.

“More than a financial mess, the Lafayette mine is an environmental and social failure. We have forewarned President Arroyo and the DENR that the project is not socially, technically, environmentally and financially feasible but they still allowed it to proceed. The Arroyo administration should be held accountable along with Lafayette to rehabilitate the island and compensate the local residents for the damages done by the mine”, Bautista added.

“They also must ensure that enough rehabilitation fund is available for the affected people in the Island. This must be primarily provided by the Banks now that operating the mines”, the Kalikasan PNE coordinator stressed. Based on a dialogue of Defend Patrimony with DENR officials, there is still no funding available for rehabilitation of Rapurapu if ever the mines closed immediately.

According to banktrack.org, the mining project is funded by the following financial stakeholders: a lenders group (ABN AMRO, ANZ, Investec, SC First Bank, Standard Chartered, Standard Bank), LG International and KORES, Korean state companies, and Lafayette’s shareholders.###

For interviews, please contact
Mr. Clemente Bautista Jr., 63-922-844-9787 or 9209099
or through email kalikasan.pne@gmail.com

DEFEND PATRIMONY! is a broad alliance comprised of organizations and individuals united in the defense of Filipino people’s rights and national patrimony against the wholesale plunder of our mineral and other natural resources.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: INBOX is an archive of press releases, statements, announcements, letters to the editors, and manifestos sent to PinoyPress for publication. Please email your materials to pinoypress @ gmail.com. PinoyPress is not responsible for the content of these materials. The opinion expessed in these items does not reflect those of PinoyPress and its staff. Please refer to our terms of use/disclaimer.

RSS feed • Subscribe via email • Discuss

TAGS

THE NEWS IN PICTURES

Free at Last. The so-called Tagaytay 5 -- Aris Sarmiento, Axel Pinpin, Riel Custodio, Michael Masayes and Rico Ybañez -- shown here inside their prison cell during their incarceration, were freed yesterday. “The dismissal of trumped-up charges and release of Tagaytay 5 is a victory for human rights,” said Ruth Cervantes, Karapatan's public information officer. (Photo: freetagaytay5.net)

Displaced. Residents of North Cotabato have been the ones badly affected by the military offensives launched against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. "As the government continues to indiscriminately drop bombs on Moro and Christian villages in Aleosan and Pikit, more and more civilians are displaced," said Kawagib, a Moro human-rights group.(Photo: Suara Bangsamoro/arkibongbayan.org)

In One Roof. Villagers who fled their homes after the clashes last week between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the south brought every human life with them, including their farm animals. They now live under one roof at an evacuation center in Pikit, North Cotabato. (Photo: Bong Sarmiento / Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project)

Emergency. A scene from "Ambulancia," a short film that tells of a painful twist in an ambulance driver's belief that a dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets. The award-winning film will be screened at the so-called "Woodstock of short films" in Germany. Richard Legaspi directed the film and it stars Alan Paule and Nor Domingo. (Contributed photo)

Sendoff. The Philippine Army dispatched today, Aug. 10, the 68th Infantry Battalion to Maguindanao. This battalion, together with the 46th Infantry Battalion from Samar, will augment the troops in Central Mindanao for the security operations that will be conducted to ensure peaceful elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao tomorrow. (Photo: Philippine Army)

Killings Denounced. Mindanao journalists gathered in General Santos City on Friday to denounce the recent attacks on their colleagues. On Monday, Dennis Cuesta, a Radio Mindanao Network commentator in General Santos, was shot and is fighting for his life. On Thursday, another RMN broadcaster, Martin Roxas of Capiz City, was shot dead. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

If This Wall Could Talk. With the pleasant scenery as a backdrop (and a constant reminder, perhaps, of a life they could have had), this poor family try to survive by actually living by the sidewalk outside the Chinese school in Davao City. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Undaunted. Activists from Anakbayan scuffle with the police as the Chevrolet Suburban carrying President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo passes by the junction before the newly built Bankerohan bridge in Davao City last week. The president was in the city for the declaration of the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi parties. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Freedom Denied. Lex Adonis, a former broadcaster of Bombo Radyo in Davao City, inside the Davao Penal Colony, where he was jailed after House Speaker Prospero Nograles sued him for libel over a story involving the Davao congressman's alleged sexual relations with a woman other than his wife. Despite a court order, Adonis remains in jail. (File photo by davaotoday.com)

Tribute to Ka Bel. Activists, artists, friends and supporters troop to the Philippine Independent Church on Taft Avenue Monday night to honor AnakPawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, who died last week. Beltran will be buried in Bulacan today, after a ceremony honoring him at the House of Representatives, where he served for several terms as party-list congressman. (Photo by Ayi Muallam/pinoypress.net)

Rare Sight. Moro women students of a madrasah play volleyball during a break in barangay Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, last week. While Filipina Moros are considered relatively open in their lifestyle compared to Muslim women in other countries, scenes like this are not very common in Moro areas in Mindanao. (Photo by Keith Bacongco/AKP Images)

Ka Bel's Fight. An activist mourns the death of AnakPawis Rep. Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran, who died Tuesday. Ka Bel's remains lie in state at the IFI Cathedral in Manila. His colleagues, family and friends have lined up a series of tributes. Click here for the schedules, as well as statements and poems honoring Ka Bel. (Photo by courtesy of arkibongbayan)

Displaced. Lumad families from Compostela and Monkayo towns, in Compostela Valley Province, seek refuge in Davao City after being displaced by intense counter-insurgency operations by the military in their communities this month. The 210 evacuees, of which 83 are children, are now staying inside a gym. The number of evacuees is expected to rise, according to NGOs. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan)

Philippines: Defend Patrimony demands permanent closure of Rapu-Rapu mine, accountability and responsibility from Arroyo, DENR and Lafayette

Leave a Comment