Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the suspicious construction of a P200-million worth nickel mining project in Candelaria, Zambales that would be heavily funded by Chinese investors.
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Senator Leila de Lima (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN)x
De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the indiscriminate mining operations in Zambales continue to wreak havoc on the country’s environment, thus, the government should carefully assess the environmental, social, and economic impact of another mining project with China.
“Our mountains are stripped of top soil and our river waters are turning all red due to heavy mud. But what’s worse, the government, particularly Mr. Duterte, is obviously willing to allow unscrupulous Chinese contractors rape our environment at the detriment of our natural resources as well as the livelihood of our local residents,” De Lima said.
Citing news reports, De Lima said Fujian Hengrun Investment Co., Ltd. of China and Filipino firms Westchinamin Corp. and Easternreach Mining Group, Inc. have agreed to put up Ferro-Nickel Plant in Candelaria, Zambales.
The deal was sealed despite strong opposition of Zambales residents who called for an immediate halt to the indiscriminate mining operations in their province.
Though detained, De Lima said she was able to obtain documents showing actual photographs of how the river in Zambales had alarmingly turned red due to the risky mining business.
She said there is a need to scrutinize all government transactions with regards to mining operations, especially the construction of a Ferro-Nickel Plant in Zambales, to be fully aware of their effect to the residents and impact to the generations to come.
“The government has the obligation to protect the environment and at the same time ensure the wellbeing of the people. Abandoning the people by disregarding their safety and needs is an outright dereliction of one’s duty,” she said.
Earlier, De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 778, which seeks a Senate inquiry into the apparent gaps in the country’s environmental laws that compound the prevalence of human rights abuses in communities where there are large-scale mining.
The senator said it is imperative that the Senate take an in-depth evaluation of the continuing negative impact of mining operations on the environment and human rights of local communities.
De Lima had also filed Senate Bill No. 960, which seeks to ban black sand mining, which she described as “one form of environmental plunder” resulting to damage on the environment and livelihood of people in the surrounding areas due to floods and landslides.
She said the mining companies and local officials responsible for the destruction of the environment and people’s livelihood in Zambales must not be allowed to go scot-free and should be held accountable for their action.
source: news.mb.com.ph