Marbel clergy to issue position paper vs open-pit mining

MANILA, Philippines - he Diocese of Marbel is due to come up with a position paper against open pit mining, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Wednesday. Diocesan Social Action Director Fr. Romeo Catedral will draft the position paper, which will be sent to all priests, diocesan and religious for their respective signatures. "The previous Clergy Statement on Mining (1997) could serve as a take off point of the position paper. The South Cotabato province has been conducting public hearings on a proposed environmental code which among others ban open-pit mining. The latest public hearing was held last May 12, 2008 at the Provincial Capitol Compound," the CBCP said. It said the main issue is the social acceptability of open-pit mining, which is being opposed by most of the members of the provincial board, the CBCP said. "The Diocese of Marbel is also against open-pit mining because of the unabated destruction and degradation of the environment; certainty of flashfloods, mudflows and landslides, its threat to human lives and glaring threat to food security," it added. The local church also cited the expected cutting of tress will contribute to global warming, and threats to peace and order. It said this will also go against inter-generational solidarity and concern for future generations, and will be a violation of God's mandate to care for the earth and cultivate it. - GMANews.TV