Let's Adventure to Mindoro!

See forwarded media reports below of hunger strike by Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines in Manila, outside the headquarters of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources, in relation to the issuance of a mining concession in the Mangyans ancestral lands and watershed area for the Island of Mindoro (details at http://earthjedi.blogspot.com ). The latest news is that someone has also started a hunger strike in Rome at the World Food Summit in protest against the issuance and project.

The strike is having some effect as Secretary of the DENR Atienza is coming under pressure as a result of the national and international press coverage to justify his decision and Intex's shares were halted on the Oslo stock exchange as they fell due to bad publicity and uncertainty. However we need to put as much pressure on the Government of the Philippines (and also the company Intex Resources of Norway and the Norwegian Government) to cancel the Environment Clearance Certificate, as they have already attempted to fluff the issue by saying they will suspend the ECC for 90 days - i.e. to end the hunger strike and then have mining proceed as planned. The hunger strikers have rightly described this as a sham and decided to continue with their action until the ECC is cancelled.

The last of the two reports attached below are Support Statements that the Working Group on Mining in the Philippines and LRC have sent to the hunger strikers. PLEASE SEND LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO: roslynarayata@yahoo.com.ph; nc@alyansatigilmina.net; whit@piplinks.org ; lodel@piplinks.org


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Business Mirror quoted Philippines environment secretary Mr Lito Atienza as saying that he has decided to suspend the environmental compliance certificate of a Norwegian mining firm in Mindoro after speaking with local government officials from the provinces of Mindoro Occidental and Oriental.

Earlier, executive secretary Mr Eduardo Ermita said in his weekly news briefing that Mr Atienza gave the assurance during a phone conversation on allegations that the DENR had issued an illegal ECC to Intex Resources.

Mr Atienza decided to suspend the ECC issued to Norwegian company Intex Resources for the Mindoro nickel project following a dialog with local officials and representatives of various stakeholders from Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

He said that he would immediately look into the ECC, which he signed, on the assumption that the 11,000 hectare mine site is not within a watershed area, and that all requirements in the issuance of such ECC were fully complied with. He added that "As it appears, there was no consultation. That’s why I will look into it."

He also said for the project to proceed, there will be a genuine consultation with the concerned local government units, the communities, the Catholic Church, indigenous peoples and all other stakeholders in Mindoro.

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The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc has released the calendar of activities and periods of prohibited acts in connection with the conduct of the May 10, 2010 national and local elections.

The COMELEC, in Resolution No. 8646, promulgated July 14, 2009; said the election period will run from January 10, 2010 until June 9, 2010. Prohibited during this period, the COMELEC added are the alteration of territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct; the bearing, carrying and transporting of firearms and other deadly weapons in public places; suspension of local elective officials; and transfer of officers and employees in the civil service, etc.

The COMELEC pegged the campaign period for candidates for President, Vice-President, Senators and Party-List groups to February 9, 2010 until May 8, 2010.

Meanwhile, the campaign period for candidates for members of the House of Representatives and elective provincial, city and municipal officials will start March 26, 2010 and will end May 8, 2010.

The COMELEC has also set August 17, 2009 as the last day for filing of petitions for registration of political parties and for parties, organizations and coalitions under the Party-List system of representation.

The filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for all elective positions will run from November 20, 2009 until November 30, 2009. During the same period, registered party-list groups may also file manifestations of intent to participate in the party-list elections.

Casting of votes by overseas absentee voters (OAV) will start April 10, 2010 (Host country time) and will run until 3:00 PM of May 10, 2010 (Philippine Time).

Meanwhile, the country's voters have from 7:00 AM until 6:00 PM to cast their votes on Election Day, May 10, 2010.