MANKAYAN, Benguet: Mining subsidiary Far Southeast Gold Resources of the African giant Goldfields Resources has declared the pull out of their drilling operations in Madaymen village.

The Goldfields Resources has demobilized its drill rig starting last week and is looking at a transfer site where it will be more useful.

This after over a year, its confirmation drilling was opposed by protesting villagers, which according to Goldfields were mostly even outsiders, even it has full legal rights by virtue of Mineral Production Sharing Agreement-001 as approved by the government through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said Goldfields spokesman Marionne Molintas.

Still, Goldfields has the full legal right to drill at the Madaymen site and all other sites previously approved by the government.

The firm reiterated committing “to strengthen our host communities through projects aimed at improved education, employment, health, livelihood and infrastructure.”

Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. (LCMC), majority shareholder of Goldfields, claims legal ownership of Madaymen site according to Knestor Godino, vice president of LCMC, adding that the land was bought several decades ago from landowners.

The continuing protests and pickets at the now “demobilized drilling site” are violations Goldfields and LCMC’s legal rights said Molintas.

LCMC reportedly is bent on pursuing criminal and civil cases against picketers at the Madaymen site. Goldfields is also conducting geotechnical drilling at other sites in Mankayan.

Affected residents and community leaders, in these areas, said Molintas of the Goldfields, “have welcomed [our] operations as evidenced by various memoranda of understanding and they have started to enjoy the concomitant benefits.”

In November, the South African government still showed positive signs of great interest in continuing its stake in Benguet gold mining as South African Deputy Minister of Minerals Godfrey Oliphant spoke at the 59th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference.