By Tito Natividad Fiel, DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI)
11 November
2006
Dipolog City - Contrary to the press report released by the Canadian
mining company TVI Pacific in Zamboanga and Dipolog City a week ago that they
have been welcomed by the people in Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur, the regional Church
based group here alleges that TVI had paid people to rally in support of their
local mining operations.
The community organizer from the Prelature of Ipil,
Zamboanga Sibugay reported that on November 8, "contrary to the company's
public relation work, TVI's pro-mining rally on October 30 and 31 was not genuinely
supported by the people of Bayog."
According to the organizer, TVI
promised to pay 150 pesos to each motor and pedicab [rickshaw] driver for them
to join a pro-mining rally, which aimed to show the public that the local people
welcomed the company.
The report claims that those people went to the rally
in support of TVI mining operation not from their own conviction that mining brings
them in a better life, but due to the financial consideration offered to them.
However, some of the drivers and pro-mining rally participants were dismayed
after the rally, because TVI allegedly broke its promise and failed to pay the
amount being offered.
The report quotes interviews with some of the jeepney
[bus], pedicab and motorcycle drivers, where it notes that all of them were chartered
by the company to be used by TVI to exclusively transport their supporters, and
they were disallowed by the company to pick up passengers except those identified
by company.
The report criticizes an alleged TVI funded local radio program
for claiming that all the people of Bayog supported the pro-mining rally, while
a counter anti-mining rally relied on people outside Bayog. The truth is that
TVI gathered a pocket of people in Bayog not because of their own desire but due
to the financial and job promises.
TVI transported about 100 people from
José Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte, 100 from Siocon and 100 from R.T. Lim
to join the pro-mining rally in Bayog in exchange for job hiring.
The government's
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources in Region 9, headed by its Director attended the pro-mining rally, the
report added.
A few months ago, the church group organising the anti-mining
rally received information from the local government of Bayog and from the company
itself, that they would conduct a pro-mining rally at the same time and date as
counter of the anti-mining rally.
Rev. Fr. Nador Hisulga, an administrator
of Prelature of Ipil, wasdismayed by how the Mayor of Bayog, Mary Ann Cartalla,
disallowed the approximately 500 Subanon of Bayog the right to march in public
places to air their positions against mining.
