Reds own up to raid on mining firm
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) admitted yesterday that its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), carried out the raid on the compound of the Saguittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in Tampakan,
In a statement posted on the CPP website, its spokesman, Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, said the attack on SMI is solely aimed at punishing the giant Swiss mining firm “for land grabbing, plunder and environmental destruction.”
“The punitive raid against the mining firm was timed precisely on the holiday when its mining operations were at a standstill and its workers and employees were out on a holiday break to ensure none of them would be hurt in the raid. No civilian was hurt in the raid,” Rosal said.
About 30 to 40 NPA guerrillas swooped down on the SMI compound, burning at least two buildings, police said. The rebels also attacked a CAFGU-manned military detachment in Tampakan.
Officials of the mining company said the attack would not affect a pre-feasibility study now in progress.
Tampakan has one of the biggest undeveloped copper resources in
Rosal said the New Year assault is “an important milestone” in their bid to put a stop to what he described as “destructive and plunderous mining operations.”
Rosal said the local folk have “vigorously opposed” the mining operations in Tampakan since the 1990s when these were still being conducted by the Western Mining Corp. (WMC), which was later renamed Tampakan Mineral Resources Corp.
In 2002, SMI took over WMC’s operations after these were halted in the face of strong opposition from the townsfolk, he said.
“The local folk are resisting the plans of SMI to start open pit mining operations by 2010 in the forested villages of Bong Mal, Tablu, Danlag and Folu Bato. Open pit mining operations are considered as among the most ecologically destructive methods of mining as this would wipe out entire forests and watershed areas,” he added. – With Reuters
- Latest
- Trending
