CPA warns
of more protest with Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality
of the Mining Act
The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA)
calls on all human rights advocates, environmentalist and patriotic
Filipinos to condemn and launch a sustained protest over the Supreme
Courts final decision on the Mining Act of 1995. The Supreme Court
has unmasked itself as vulnerable to manipulations by interested
parties by making biased judgements over matters of social justice.
This is a fundamental flaw in the existence and legitimacy of the
Supreme Court, which every concerned citizen should denounce in
order to reclaim justice for the people.”
This is the statement of Joan U Carling, Chairperson CPA in response
to the final decision of the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality
of the Mining Act of 1995. The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed
with finality the motion for reconsideration filed on January 20,
2005 on the reversal of its earlier decision on the unconstitutionality
of the Mining Act of 1995.
Carling claims that “It is highly deplorable that while
Supreme Court earlier deemed the Financial and Technical Assistance
Agreements (FTAA) unconstitutional , it has now succumbed to unprecendented
lobby, pressure and manuevers of the GMA administration and the
mining industry to give in to their selfish interest”. She
added that “the legitimacy, integrity and fairness of the
Supreme Court is now under question and the people who stand to
suffer from this decision will never forget this act of injustice”.
Carling opines that “the Supreme Court chose to ignore the
voluminous evidence on the adverse impacts of corporate mining on
the environment, the destruction of peoples livelihood sources,
and the outright violation of the collective rights of indigenous
peoples.
After the Supreme Court’s declaration on the Constitutionality
of the Mining Act of 1995, the Philippine government has embarked
on a campaign to lure foreign mining companies to invest in the
country. Several mining companies have renewed their mining applications
while others have signified their interest to invest in the mining
industry. In response to this development, Carling warned mining
companies “to keep off the mineral resources of the people.
Affected communities will meet you with their might and will fight
back if the government and mining companies will insist on opening
up their land for corporate mining. There will be more protests,
mass demonstrations and resistance on the ground. The country will
become a battle ground against the plunder of the peoples resources.
It is an honorable act and our duty to defend our land from imperialist
plunder”declares the Chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples
Alliance.#
Reference person: Joan U Carling, Chairperson
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