NORASIAN OFF-SHORE MINING IS PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULLETTE WITH OUR FUTURE.

August 14, 2008

PRESS STATEMENT

NORASIAN OFF-SHORE MINING IS PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULLETTE WITH OUR FUTURE.

When a consensus through a resolution was made by various scientists under the Philippine Association of Marine Science against the operation of JAPEX in Tañon Strait a couple of months ago, the debate on the destructive impacts of off-shore mining in our archipelagic water has ended.

Their resolution validated and affirmed by various scientific facts from the global community, helped catapult the campaign against the rape of our patrimony, destruction of environment, food security and dislocation of hundreds of thousands of fisherfolks.

It is sad that DOE became a willing lackey of profiteering corporations. It is even more revolting to know that they have become more rabid in promoting off-shore mining after the strong solidarity between various sectors under STSCM kicked-out Japan Petroleum Exploration Inc. out of our protected seascape.

DOE, their corporate cohorts and the National Government failed to learn a very important lessons after the people defeated them in Tañon Strait when they prod NorAsian to pursue their activities in Cebu Strait.

They refused to acknowledge that the people are now taking back their constitutional power to resist projects that are anti-environment and anti people, and weild the power of choosing developmental models that is responsive to their welfare and interests, as a people and as a nation.

The lies and deception of DOE and NorAsian that their project will develop our local and domestic economy, will cost us not just with irreparable damage to our fishing grounds, marine biodiversity, food security, and dislocations, but with our lives and our future.

At the end of the day, NorAsian and their collaborators, after extracting profit from our misery will pack-up and leave. At the end of the day the community stays with whatever is left after being ravaged by DOE and NorAsian.

The only way to stop this pillage is to replicate the victory of people’s resistance in Tañon Strait and bring meaningful change.

The tragedy in Tañon Strait is enough to stop Off-shore mining.

In the era of climate change, development of fossil fuel is reckless and irresponsible, we should not allow the acts of these agents of disaster to play Russian roulette with our lives.

For Reference:

Vince A. A. Cinches

Executive Director

FIDEC Inc.

Co- Convenor - STSCM