In the latest move on the issue of the proposed settlement deal between the provincial government of Marinduque and Barrick Gold Corporation the adoption by all the barangays of a collective position has been undertaken - in full support of the Sangguniang Barangay of Boac's "strong and vehement objections to the unacceptable conditions contained in the stipulated fact (Document 4A) and other related conditions which remained substantially unfair and unjust to the people of the present and future generations of Marinduque".
Photos show just two of the looming threats
on the abandoned mine site
The said Resolution of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Boac strengthened the position of the Sangguniang Bayan of Boac earlier conveyed to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Marinduque.
The Boac municipal board earlier maintained that all the conditions stated in the statement of stipulated facts in the proposed settlement should be rejected in totality "not only because they are not commensurate to the amount of offer for settlement, but they jeopardize the right to social, environmental and equitable justice of the present and future generations of Marinduqueños", that "some of the stipulations are morally unacceptable because they run counter to the established truths and events".
Among others, SB Boac in the said resolution authored by councilor Myke Magalang and unanimously approved by the SB members, also urged the provincial government of Marinduque to immediately pursue the implementation of the various remediation orders already issued by DENR to the mining companies involved in relation to mining-impacted areas.
It will be recalled that the 2005 suit filed by the Marinduque government against Placer-Dome and Barrick Gold sought compensation for the damage wrought by mining operation in the island-province. Areas contaminated by mine waste around Marinduque includes Calancan Bay, Mogpog and Boac rivers and other waterways.
It has been reported that the two Makulapnit Dams have a combined volume of 34 million cubic meters of water and mine tailings. These materials in case of any accident will find their way into the Maklapnit and Boac Rivers which only have an estimated holding capacity of 11 million cubic meters. The 1996 disaster involved only about 4 million cubic meters of contaminated water and tailings.
Attempts by the provincial government to convince barangay leaders from the municipality in a last minute 'consultative meeting' on March 11 to support the 'take-it-or-leave-it' deal apparently fell on deaf ears. The proposed agreement has been openly rejected by Marinduque-based NGO's led by Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MaCEC) that was at the forefront in filing the lawsuit in Nevada, local LGU's, lawyers groups and alliances of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs, PO's and other civil society organizations.
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| Portion of LIGA NG MGA BARANGAY NG BOAC Resolution 'expressing the collective position of the sixty-one barangays of the Mnicipality of Boac in relation to the proposed Nevada case settlement by supporting, owning and reiterating the stance and recommendations of the Sangguniang Bayan of Boac contained in Resolution No. 2014-028 dated March 10, 2014 and entitled: "Resolution further consolidating and galvanizing the official position of the Eighth Sangguniang Bayan of Boac in relation to the proposed Nevada case settlement agreement offered by Barrick Gold Corporation to the Province of Marinduque in the light of new developments and amendments offered by Barrick Gold, reiterating the recommendations contained in this Body's Resolution No. 2013-100 dated December 18, 2013 and Resolution No. 2014-023 dated Febrary 24, 2014 and for other related purposes" |
