DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 9, 2012) – Mariing binatikos kahapon ng National Democratic Front sa Mindanao ang puwersahang pagpapalayas ng pamahalaan sa napakaraming mga residente sa bayan ng Pantukan sa Compostela Valley province na kung saan ay maraming nasawi sa landslide sanhi ng patuloy na pag-ulan at ilegal mining sa area.
Sinabi ni Rubi del Mundo, tagapagsalita ng NDF sa Southern Mindanao, ay isa lamang palusot ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan uypang pagtakpan ang kapalpakan nito dahil sa mapait na sinapit ng mga taga-Pantukan sa trahedyang naganap nitong Enero 5.
“As the families of the victims of January 5 Pantukan landslides suffer from the loss of their loved ones, the US-Aquino regime has stepped up its campaign to eventually dislocate them with the strict enforcement of the no-habitation policy and the military-aided forcible evacuation. Indeed, the Malacanang order is a face-saving measure meant to conceal the Aquino regime’s gross negligence in addressing geological disasters while filling its coffers with resources out of the blood and sweat of small-scale miners,” ani Del Mundo sa pahayag nito sa Mindanao Examiner.
Pinalalayas umano ang mga maliliit na minero at kanilang pamilya sa lalawigan habang patuloy naman na kinukulimbat ng mga malalaking mining companies ang kayamanan ng bansa. Binatikos rin nito ang Russel Mining na umano’y may interests sa lalawigan.
“The National Democratic Front Southern Mindanao finds it despicable for the Aquino regime to claim concern for the safety and the lives of Pantukan residents, while allowing and making (plunderous) mining operations in the country its centerpiece program. Forcing small-scale miners to leave the gold and copper rich areas will pave the way for the unbridled and unhampered operations of large-scale mining firms – like Russell Mining – that are poised to take over the gold and copper-rich mountains,” sabi pa ni Del Mundo.
“As it is right now, one-third of Philippine lands are covered with mining applications. Through the Mining Act of 1995, the Aquino regime continues to legitimize the unbridled plunder of our mining resources and the wanton destruction of our environment in the name of profit and total sell-out of our lands to multi-national, transnational and big local companies,” dagdag pa nito.
Muli naman itong nagbabala sa mga mining firms na parurusahan ang mga lumalabag sa batas. “The revolutionary movement will continue to resist the relentless plunder of our mining resources and plunder of our economy. It is the policy of the people’s democratic government to ban all enterprises, including big foreign mining and logging firms, that engage in large-scale plunder of the natural resources, land grabbing and destruction of the environment. Large-scale foreign mining operations have caused the siltation and poisoning of rivers, water sources and agricultural lands and other grave destruction of our natural environment,” wika pa ni Del Mundo. (Mindanao Examiner)
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