|
By Francis C. Hidalgo. Correspondent
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: The village chief of
Didipio, Kasibu town was shot dead by unidentified on May 29,
raising fears of violence erupting as a result of his killing in the
wake of an ongoing standoff between pro and anti-mining villagers.
Superintendent Domingo Lucas, officer-in-charge
of the provincial police office, identified the fatality as Didipio
Barangay Chairman Paul Baguilat, 55, who was shot at least four
times by unidentified men while on his way home on Thursday.
Residents in the area said they heard gunshots
at about 7 p.m. coming from the direction of Baguilat’s house. His
body was found in an isolated road on the way to his house the
following day.
Chief Inspector Peter Cambri, the police chief
of Nueva Vizcaya province, told Agence France-Presse that the
authorities were checking whether the killing was linked to the mine
dispute.
The victim’s wife, Elma Baguilat, suggested
that she knew why her husband was killed, but added: “Speaking out
here is dangerous.”
Cease and desist
Gov. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma sought the assistance
of the military and police on Thursday to enforce once and for all
the cease and desist order she earlier issued against Oceana Gold
Philippines, Inc.
Seventeen men from the 54th Infantry Battalion
of the Philippine Army, together with 21 officers from the Nueva
Vizcaya Police Mobile Group were accompanied by selected provincial
government employees including security guards to the Didipio Gold
and Copper project site.
In the said directive, Police Superintendent
Domingo Lucas, provincial director here, Col. Benjamin Laguardio,
commanding officer of the 54th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine
Army, and Environment and Natural Resources Officer Francisco
Tolentino were instructed to post notices in conspicuous places
informing the public that the mining area is being closed, to
“padlock” equipment found being used in the mining operation, to
arrest any person found conducting illegal quarrying, and to seize
and impound equipment found to be conducting illegal activity.
According to sources, some 150 rebel returnees
will also go to the area to support the governor’s move “to put
teeth” to her April 9 CDO.
“We are going there to comply with the
directive of the Governor but the presence of the men-in-uniform
would only assure that there will be peace and order while it is
being enforced,” said Environment and Natural Resources Officer
Francisco Tolentino.
Oceana Gold rejects order
The mine site manager rejected the order, citing
a ruling last week by the national government that the Nueva Vizcaya
tax demand was illegal, the mine’s assistant general manager Gil
Maglaque said
Oceana Gold officials and the governor’s
representatives then held talks at the Didipio village hall with
Baguilat as mediator.
But the talks were inconclusive and the local
officials left after failing to shut down the mine, Maglaque added.
The $320-million Didipio project, in a mountain
range near Kasibu, employs many of Baguilat’s neighbors for mine
construction activities ahead of production, which is scheduled to
start in 2010.
Baguilat was also a former Oceana Gold employee
who quit last year to run for public office, his widow said.
Oceana Gold describes the deposits as “one of
the highest grade gold-copper porphyries in the world,” and the
Philippine government is expecting some $700 million in tax revenues
over the mine’s life span.
The mining sector is expected to grow five-fold
in the next four years, with cumulative new investments expected to
rise to $10.4 billion by 2011.
Baguilat’s slay came five days after he led
the passage of a manifesto supporting the operations of the
Australian owned mining firm Oceana Gold Philippines.
The manifesto reportedly got the ire of tribal
residents who were rooting for the pullout of the said mining
project from their barangay.
Provincial officials led by Vice Gov. Jose
Gambito meanwhile condemned Baguilat’s slay, which happened just a
day after Gov. Luisa Lloren Cueresma came out with an enforcement
order to padlock all quarrying vehicles of the mining firm Oceana
Gold.
-- With Gene Basilio and AFP
|
