MANILA — An official of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines on Tuesday urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to sustain its earlier closure order issued against large mining companies to prevent further environmental damage.
“Mas malaki ang impact ng large scale [mining] (Large-scale mining has a large impact). What (DENR Secretary Roy) Cimatu should have done is to uphold the cancellation by then DENR Sec. Gina Lopez of 23 large mining companies not complying with environmental laws,” Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of NASSA/Caritas Philippines, said in a statement.
“Cimatu should also put a ban on open pit mining causing destruction and making communities more vulnerable to disaster like what happened in Itogon,” he added.
The humanitarian advocacy group issued the statement in the wake of the landslide in Benguet that killed 43 people, with 30 others missing due to the onslaught of typhoon “Ompong” last Saturday.
“The landslide site was mining site of Benguet Corp. It was one of the areas ordered closed by then DENR Sec. Lopez in 2017 for not comlpying to environmental laws,” the Catholic priest said.
“The area was supposed to be fully rehabilitated. But Benguet Corp. is alleged to have subcontracted small miners to continue mining there,” he added.
It was reported that 43 miners have so far been retrieved from an old mining site that was buried by a landslide triggered by rains brought by the storm. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
