Zambo tribal group asks SC to halt mining operations

MANILA, Philippines -  An indigenous group yesterday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop mining operations in the Zamboanga Peninsula, coinciding with the observance of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples.

The group of Subanens, an indigenous group in the peninsula, filed a petition for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan and temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) enjoining the government from further issuing mining permits in their provinces. 

Mining operations in the peninsula, according to the Subanen group, should be stopped until the environmental concerns they have raised have been sufficiently addressed. 

“We will never allow all forms of mining in Zamboanga Peninsula. As a Subanen, we do not want that our ancestral domain, which is the source of everything that we need, will be destroyed,” their leader Mario Catanes told reporters.

“Our ancestral domain supplies us with everything that we need. It provides us with fresh air, medicine, clean water and healthy food. And all of these, along with our culture, will be lost because of mining,” Catanes said.

“Since 1997 until now, mining companies have not stopped applying for mining permits despite our strong opposition to protect and defend our homes, livelihood and food base. We are here in the Supreme Court today to do so. Subanen, Moro and Christian tribes are in unity for this cause,” said Jesus Catamco Jr., vice chairman of the Alliance for the Integrity of Nature and one of the petitioners. 

The petitioners cited 2008 data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), showing that the total area opened for mining in the Zamboanga Peninsula was 703,595.33 hectares, accounting for 45.25 percent of its total land area. 

However, as of March this year, a total of 170 mining tenements had been entertained or otherwise approved, involving a total of 808,269.09 hectares, or about 51 percent of the peninsula’s land mass.

Named respondents in the petition were the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, MGB, Protected Areas and Wildlife Management Bureau, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.