DAVAO CITY – South Cotabato residents numbering to more than one thousand joined the Diocese of Marbel and environmental groups in a protest rally calling on Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. to veto the new ordinance allowing the conduct of open-pit mining in the province.
The protesters from different parts of the province marched toward the provincial capitol in Koronadal City to protest an ordinance recently passed by the Provincial Board that will amend the 12-year ban on open-pit mining.
Tamayo told the crowd that he will form a technical working group to review the ordinance before coming up with the decision.
However, he admitted that he has yet to receive the copy of the recently-passed ordinance that will allow mining companies to conduct open-pit mining.
One of these companies is Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) which holds the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) covering at least 23,000 hectares across the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and Davao del Sur.
But much of the mining tenement is in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
The governor added that he needs time to study before coming with a decision . “Di basta basta mag bigay ng veto, kailangan ng justification,” Tamayo told the crowd during a rally which was streamed live on Facebook.
On May 16, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously adopted an ordinance amending the provincial Environment Code without objections.
The measure had been considered as a roadblock on the development of the long-delayed Tampakan gold and copper mining project.
Bishop Cerilo Allan Casicas, meanwhile, respects the decision of the governor saying that he understands the process the chief executive has to consider before coming up with a decision.
“We don’t know yet if the governor has already made a decision deep inside. But the office of the governor has a certain process to follow,” said Casicas during a press conference streamed on Facebook by the diocese’s Social Action Center.
Should the governor veto the new ordinance, the provincial board could still override it by a two-thirds vote of the board members.
Of the 14 board members, Casicas said they would need to convince at least two board members to join the four of their colleagues who are already against the lifting of the open-pit mining.
Aside from board member Ester Marin Catorce, other board members who are expected to retain the ban on open-pit mining are Ellen Grace Subere Albios, Jinky Avance-Samodal and Rose Grace Achurra, according to the bishop.
“I hope the four of them will remain against the new measure. Then two more board members will be added, we are safe then,” Casicas said.
But even if the chance to uphold the ban is slim, the bishop urged the people not to give up the fight. “Let’s not give up even if there’s one percent left of the chance that the veto would not be overturned,” the bishop appealed to the residents.