Davao
Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon has ordered a temporary
stoppage of mining activities in the municipalities of Lupon
and Banaybanay in a bid to stop the “ongoing anarchy”
that caused the lives of many people there srambling for
gold and nickel.
“We
really have to put a stop to the ongoing anarchy in these
minerals-rich towns. I will order a temporary stoppage of
all mining activities in these two municipalities,”
says Gov. Malanyaon during a recent dialogue with all small-scale
miners from the towns of Lupon and Banaybanay at the provincial
governor’s office in the City of Mati.
Gov.
Malanyaon said that she was “deeply alarmed”
of the presence of many private armies employed by the small-scale
miners in these municipalities. “In these places,
even if you’ve got a mining permit from the government,
you still cannot operate if you do not maintain private
armies. These private armies are now sowing terror among
the hapless civilians in these towns. That’s why we
really have to take the pain now by stopping all the mining
activities in these two municipalites until such time that
we are able to contain the ongoing violence there.”
Gov. Malanyaon told the small-scale miners during a dialogue
with them in the Capitol.
The
Governor said that many “legal miners” or those
who operate with mining permits issued by the Provincial
Government were not able to operate “because they
were shooed away by the heavily armed private armies of
miners which do not have mining permits. In these places,
mining permits coming from the provincial government are
useless if you do not have private armies.”
“Besides,
the provincial government is not benefiting from your mining
operations because practically all of you did not pay taxes
to the provincial government. And you are killing each other,”
says a visibly fuming Gov. Malanyaon.
At
least two of the small-scale miners who joined the dialogue
with Gov. Malanyaon have protested her plan to impose a
moratorium on mining. “We will lose huge amount of
money if you will stop our legal mining business. We operate
with a mining permit coming from the provincial government.
Please ma’m, spare those who operate with mining permit,”
an unidentified small-scale miner told Gov. Malanyaon.
But
another miner said a moratoriom on mining “will really
put a stop to the ongoing anarchy especially in Lupon town.
Yes, it’s painful for us but I think that’s
the best way, the only solution to restore order in our
place. We support your plan, Gov. Malanyaon.”
Gov.
Malanyaon said that she is really hell-bent on imposing
a mining moratorium. “No one can stop me on this.
I will order a temporary stoppage of all mining activities
in Lupon and Banaybanay towns,” Gov. Malanyaon told
the miners.
Police
investigators, however, have linked the recent killing of
an election official in Lupon town to the “ongoing
anarchy in the minerals-rich towns of Lupon and Banaybanay.
Police investigators said that the municipal election officer
of Governor Generoso town, lawyer Sulaiman Alilian, could
have been killed by his rivals in the small-scale mining
business. (PR/PIA XI)
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