Church groups lament LGU failure to enforce law in E. Samar's mining-hit areas

Government authorities have failed to enforce laws to protect human rights of members of a mining affected community in Eastern Samar's Salcedo town, members of human rights and church groups said on Friday. At a press conference in Palo, Leyte last Friday, Diocese of Borongan social action officials also said local authorities are not doing enough to curb violence there. Borongan Diocesan Social Action Center (DSAC) chairman Fr. Juderick Canlumpinao claimed "local authorities have been remiss of their duty to enforce the law, resulting in pervasive lawlessness that has created an environment of fear." Citing the killing last May 1 of Mr. Francisco "Mano Ansing" Canayong, a known human rights defender working for the anti-mining campaign in Brgy. Carapdapan, Fr. Canlumpiano said authorities have yet to show a serious response by conducting a thorough investigation into the murder. Meanwhile, a report of a multi-sectoral task force created to address human rights issues in the mining affected areas in the town said that since March 2012, several cases of alleged human rights violations have been recorded, especially in Carapdapan. Task Force Salcedo – formed after a dialogue on July 27, 2012 – is composed of several representatives of the Church, government agencies, peoples’ organizations and civil society organizations in Eastern Samar. Amid alleged lack of response from authorities, an independent fact-finding mission (FFM) was undertaken to look into the murder of Canayong. In its report, also released on Friday at the Palo press conference, the FFM (dubbed "The Mission") said: “the mining rush in Salcedo rakes up violence and social conflicts.”  On the other hand, Task Force Salcedo noted that the perceived propensity of some government authorities to favor mining companies has exacerbated the tension within the community.   The Mission was conducted last July 24-27, 2012 by representatives of eighteen national and regional-based organizations led by the Diocesan Commission on Social Action (DSAC) of the Diocese of Borongan, Eastern Samar.   At Friday's conference, Ian Mosquisa, director of DSAC Borongan, also said: “Maintaining peace and order in Carapdapan and other parts of Salcedo  must be firmly grounded in the principles of human rights and rule of law." "Accountability is the key on the part of the authorities, and all those accused of negligence and of violating laws must be investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted,” he said.   "The government has encouraged lawlessness by its failure to enforce the law or even monitor whether mining operators are complying with it," he added.   'Human rights violations'   Salcedo town has been hit by several alleged mining-related human rights violations in recent months, a report of The Mission said.   "There are laws and regulations on mining to protect affected communities from harm and violence, but enforcement of such laws has essentially collapsed,” it said.   On Canayong's death, Fr. Canlumpinao also said, "Authorities had been alerted of the 'death threats' against Mano Ansing, weeks before he was killed on May 1." "The motive of the killing is directly related to Mr. Canayong’s work in the campaign against mining in Carapdapan and other parts of Salcedo. Thus the findings are contrary to the initial report conducted by the Commission on Human Rights-Region VIII in its Investigation Report saying that the killing of Mr. Canayong “could not have been mining-related,” stated one of the findings of The Mission. “The lack of effective response by authorities to the killing of Mr. Canayong and alleged threats and harassment suffered by human rights defenders of Brgy. Carapdapan, have resulted in the prevailing environment of fear among local populace," said Farah Diva Gamalo of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)-Visayas, who was also at the conference.   Meanwhile, Bishops Crispin Varquez of Borongan, Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog and Emmanuel Trance of Catarman have voiced outrage over the murder of Canayong through a pastoral letter last May 18, 2012.   Based on the records of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Regional Office VIII, there are ongoing extraction of chromite ore by subsistence miners and buying/trading of said ores in Salcedo, particularly in barangays Carapdapan, Cantamoja, Camanga, Palanas and Cagaut. The identified buyers/ traders of extracted chromite ores are Yinshu Mining Corporation, Terrestrial Mining Corporation and Exotic Treasure Collection Mining Corporation. — Jerbert Briola /LBG, GMA News