S. Mindanao mining leaders criticize CBCP

DAVAO CITY — Leaders of the mining industry in Southern Mindanao are up in arms against the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for criticizing the government’s mining policy.

They warned that should the CBCP continue to impose its stand against mining, it would mean more trouble as more and more people would lose their only source of income.

"They should not kill the whole industry. Killing it would just be like killing hundreds of people in the mountains who rely solely on mining," Philippine Mining Corp. executive Melanio Andresan told reporters here.

Andresan said the CBCP’s statement against mining is sending wrong signals to foreign investors who might be forced to pull out their investments here or no longer pursue their expansion plans.

Edgar Martinez, president of the Mindanao Association for Mineral Industries, said it would not be fair for the CBCP to link environmental degradation to mining alone.

Martinez said most mining companies have been serious on their social responsibilities aside from providing jobs to thousands of miners, mostly indigenous people in the mountains.

Andresan and Martinez said the Catholic bishops’ stand could lead to economic disaster due to the loss of livelihood for thousands of people who depend on the industry.

The CBCP urged the government to stop all large-scale mining operations in the country, saying they have not only caused massive environmental disasters but have also led to human rights abuses particularly against indigenous communities.

The CBCP said no relief is in sight with the revitalization of the mining industry, claiming that it would only worsen poverty.