Indigenous Filipinos take on Goliath

Ellen Teague

The Columban Faith and Justice team is standing in David’s corner in a David-Goliath struggle over mining in the Philippines. It has supported two representatives of indigenous peoples who attended the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the world’s fourth largest mining company to protest exploration by the company on their ancestral lands. Rupina Moyaen and Santos Mero are trying to stop UK-based Anglo American from mining in the northern island of Luzon.

In 2005, a subsidiary of Anglo American, called Cordillera Exploration Incorporated, was granted an exploration permit by the Philippine government, covering substantial lands of the Igorot people in Apayao Province. At the AGM, in Central London on 17 April, Rupina presented a statement indicating the opposition of the community, the reasons for their

fears, the creation of divisions in the community, and the harassment of opposition, including death threats and the assassination of leaders. “Local officials allege that we are ‘anti-development’ and ‘backward’ said Rupina. “The municipal mayor has threatened those who are against mining to leave the area as the mining projects will pursue against all odds” she added

Rupina is the Chairperson of the Save Apayao Peoples Organization, which is spearheading local opposition to the proposed large-scale mining plans. Santos works for the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), which is an independent federation of indigenous peoples organizations in the Cordillera Region, committed to defending indigenous peoples’ rights. Philippine laws specify that indigenous people affected by mining must give their “free prior informed consent” before any mining can be allowed. When Santos and Rupina pointed out that this had not happened, despite government assurances, Sir Mark Moody Stuart – company chairman - countered by saying that as far as the company was concerned they had received the consent and that those objecting were a minority. At the 2006 AGM, he made a firm commitment for the company to meet with community representatives opposing their plans. However, an agreed dialogue with community elders arranged for mid-July 2006 was cancelled at extremely short notice and has not been re-scheduled.
The people in the area fear the impacts of the proposed mining projects. Mining in the Philippines has an extremely poor reputation. It has left over 800 abandoned mines littered