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Editorial
on pushing liberalization
Jimalalud, La Libertad and Gui-
hulngan in Negros Oriental. For-
in mining
ty percent (40%) of the island's
land area or 80% of Negros' ag-
ricultural land will be affected.
Still fresh in the Negrenses'
he Aquino regime is hellbent on "reforming" the mining indus-
T try in order to put money into its rapidly emptying coffers. Ac-
cording to Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Envi-
ronment and Natural Resources (DENR), the higher taxes to be paid
memory are the disasters and
hardships suffered by thousands
of farmers due to mining opera-
tions in the 1950s in Sipalay
by mining companies will put `8 billion into the government treas-
City and Hinobaan in Negros Oc-
ury in addition to the `7 billion to be earned from royalty taxes.
cidental and in Basay, Negros
In this regard, Paje has been horts among government offi- Oriental. The operations pollut-
pushing for the declaration of cials. ed rivers, streams and other
21 "mineral reservations" in Ilo- sources of water and destroyed
cos Norte, Zambales, Bulacan, Opposition to mining farmlands after toxic chemicals
Camarines Sur, Samar island, in Negros from the mines overflowed.
Surigao del Norte, Compostela Negrenses are wary of the Many people fell ill from the
Valley and Zamboanga del Norte expansion of mining operations poisoned water and dust-filled
and all offshore areas in the in the island. Exploration and air.
country. other mining operations are cur- The people's armed and un-
Paje's "reforms" all fall with- rently being conducted in Neg- armed resistance to mining have
in the framework of the regime's ros by Philex Mining, Philmet been growing, said National
policy of liberalizing the mining Exploration Corp. and Essensa Democratic Front (NDF)-Negros
industry. The Aquino regime has Mining Corp. Forty other compa- spokesperson Ka Frank Fernan-
thus targeted a higher mining nies have also filed applications dez. The people and the revolu-
output. From 20% in 2009 under with the Mines and Geosciences tionary forces have been exert-
the Arroyo regime, the first Bureau (MGB), covering the ing all efforts to stop the deser-
months of the Aquino regime al- towns of Binalbagan, Cauayan, tification of the island due to
ready saw a 10% increase in Hinobaan and Isabela and the destructive mining.
mining output. This betrays the cities of Himamaylan, Ka- Almost immedi-
regime's hypocrisy in declaring bankalan and ately after the NDF-
that it would protect the envi- Sipalay in Ne- Negros' strongly-
ronment. gros Occiden- worded statement,
Aquino turns a blind eye to Neg-ros Occciden-
the widespread environmental tal Gov. Alfredo
degradation wrought by mining Marañon and all
operations and to the disasters of the mayors in
and loss of lives they have en- the province
gendered. Like its predecessor, signed a resolu-
the Aquino regime disregards tion on May 12
the widespread destruction of addressed to Benigno
people's lives and property as Aquino III stating their
well as the environment due to fierce opposition to the
incessant profit-taking by for- widespread offshore mining of
eign capitalists and their co- magnetite that has been tak-
company in SMR
with local government officials
from plundering the country's
natural resources with impuni-
ty.
ed fighters of the 3rd Pulang Bagani Company of the Merar-