(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
A fierce rage is now raging against the Norwegian mining company Crew Development on the Philippine island of Mindoro.
As Ny Tid reported in early April, the company issued a press release on March 24 this year and announced that it had received a clear signal from the Philippine authorities to resume work on plans for a nickel project in the mountains of Mindoro (Mindoro Nickel Project) – despite for strong local opposition and a 25-year ban on mining in the province adopted two years ago.
However, Crew's CEO Jan A. Vestrum claimed to Ny Tid that the opposition to the company's mining project was due to the fact that the local population had been "misled by people with a different agenda". In addition, Vestrum believed that the local authorities were now in the process of changing their views and becoming more positive about Crew's plans.
- Coming disaster
However, Ny Tid has now received a recent statement showing that a broad section of community life in Mindoro demands that the Norwegian mining project be shelved once and for all.
The declaration was signed by the political leadership – including the governor and mayors – in Oriental Mindoro, the province on the part of the island where the nickel project is scheduled to be laid. The church, led by the bishop, indigenous organizations and countless other organizations in Mindoro have also signed "indignation and protest".
In a separate pamphlet distributed recently to the people of Oriental Mindoro, Governor Bartolome L. Marasigan also uses strong words to warn against Crew's plans and maneuver to fight the mining company.
According to one of the environmental protection organizations in Mindoro, the headline of the governor's pamphlet reads: "An impending disaster is on its way to Oriental Mindoro."
about-face
The reason for the strong words from the governor is the Philippine authorities' reversal of the Norwegian mining company.
In January 2001, Crew was granted a Mineral Production-Sharing Agreement (MPSA) for the Mindoro Nickel Project through Crew's wholly owned subsidiary Aglubang Mining Corporation. In July of the same year, however, the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) withdrew the production license, on grounds, among other things, of the danger of environmental destruction and great local resistance.
Oriental Mindoro then passed a 25-year moratorium on mining in the province, while Crew's plans were put on hold – until the authorities surprisingly in the form of a resolution from the president's office declared the DENR's cancellation of the production license invalid at the end of March this year.
Crew Development, of course, did not hesitate to inform the public of what they perceived as full victory, which they announced in their press release on March 24 this year.
- What are the motives?
On the phone from Italy, the Crew boss says he is unaware of the statement slaughtering the mining plans and the Philippine authorities' reversal of the Norwegian company.
- I can not comment on something I have not seen. We'll see what time will tell. If individuals, in some cases very privileged, in this early phase of the project, have strong negative perceptions, one must ask oneself about the motives, says Vestrum, who assumes that "any opposition is based on the same old rhetoric".
- The opposition to our project can hardly be based on anything other than emotions, as the final design of the project has not yet been discussed. But we are not going to give up the project as long as the opposition so obviously seems to be based on a wrong process, and wrong or misleading argumentation. We will therefore seek to bring out the right information and thereby seek to persuade people that the project is in the best interests of Mindoro, says Vestrum, who thinks it is hopeless that people are against the project already now.
- We have not finished the feasability studies of the project. It is therefore not decided in detail how it will be. All we ask is that we finish the studies, so people can decide on the facts, says Vestrum.
- Always a risk
In early April, Crews CEO told Ny Tid:
- If it is the case that there is great local opposition, then the project is dead.
Vestrum reiterates that this is still his attitude.
- There is always a risk that nothing will happen in the end. But stopping the process now is very damaging and exceptionally unfortunate for the Philippines. The country has major challenges socially and economically. At the same time, the country has a comparative advantage as it is rich in minerals. In this light, it is very unfortunate if investors in general and not least foreign in particular can not trust the local legal system and that the processes and rules the authorities have set up, says Vestrum, who thinks it is hopeless with people who by definition are towards mining, at the same time as they want to enjoy products that are a result of mining.
The crew chief believes that the opponents of their project seem to be in violation of the country's laws and normal procedures.
- During the MPSA that has been awarded, all the conditions that the opponents argue with will have to be evaluated. What is so strange is that you want to make a decision before you have complete information to make a decision on. Furthermore, it is a very strange paradox that one is so opposed to mining on a soil that is heavily contaminated with heavy metals and not suitable for agriculture or other commercial or private use. Simplified, it can be argued that mining in this case will involve cleaning the soil, Vestrum claims.
The crew chief is also not impressed with ALAMIN, the umbrella organization that brings together all the opponents of the company's nickel project at Mindoro.
He points out that they have checked the websites of ALAMIN online, which according to Vestrum seem to be little visited and run "by a small group of activists whose motives are unknown".
- It is difficult to see what the mining opponents have brought of prosperity to Mindoro or what solutions they have to the social and economic challenges in the Philippines, says Vestrum, who believes that promoting the project with facts and factual argumentation will lead.
- Battle against the people's struggle
However, the CEO of Crew must admit that in fact, several people who have now signed the Declaration against the Mindoro Nickel Project were previously considered supporters of the project.
The pastor and activist Edwin Gariguez's description of the opposition to the Norwegian mining company does not bode well for Vestrum & Co.
The elected provincial governor, Bartolome Marasigan, was in fact the first to sign. All four rapporteurs have signed the document. The bishop, Warlito I. Cajandig, along with all the priests in the diocese covering the entire Oriental Mindoro have also signed. ALAMIN, which includes various non-governmental organizations has signed, and it includes KPLN, the indigenous peoples' federation, Gariguez writes in an email to Ny Tid.
Like many others, his distrust of the Crew is very great. Gariguez himself faced the undersigned when I visited the area on behalf of NorWatch in 1999 and testified with local politicians that Mindex, which the company then called, had bribed them with wrist watches to get their support for the Mindoro Nickel Project.
- Although the resolution from the president's office is a real blow to the people's long struggle in Mindoro, we are ready to once again consolidate the ranks to meet the challenges ahead, Gariguez writes.
- I want to lead the fight
Oriental Mindoro Governor Bartolome L. Marasigan, for his part, writes in the pamphlet issued to locals that they will not jointly allow the Crew to destroy the island's rich mountain areas, agricultural lands, lakes, rivers and the sea.
Nor will it be accepted that indigenous peoples, farmers or fishermen are driven away by "destructive mining", or that biological diversity is destroyed.
In conclusion, the governor writes:
"Because I am the father of the province, I want to lead the fight once and for all to stop the Crews Mindoro Nickel Project and all the applications from major mining companies in the province."
At Mindoro, the curse is great that a Norwegian mining company will not comply after the province has adopted a 25-year moratorium on all mining operations.
