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ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza on Sunday called on
some 100 farmers from Calatagan, Batangas, not to camp
out in front of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resource’s (DENR) central office on Visayas
Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, saying camping out in
front of the office “is not the solution to their
problem.”
“I
cannot allow them to camp out in the DENR premises. How
would they feel if others will sleep, eat and ‘do their
thing’ in front of their residences or offices?” Atienza
said.
“Sa
loob ng aking opisina ay magkakatulungan kami. Pero kung
sa labas ng opisina, ay paano kami magkakatulungan
[I can be of help to them if we are inside my office. If
they are outside my office, how can I be of help to
them?] We are still willing to help them out as it is
our job to let the poor have a share in the country’s
natural wealth. But we must follow the rule of law. For
me, camping out there is anarchic and is not entirely
following the rule of law,” Atienza said.
He
directed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) last
month to suspend the exploration activity of Asturias
Industries inside the 2,000-hectare MPSA (mineral
production sharing agreement) area in barangays Baha and
Talibayog in Calatagan, Batangas.
The
activity remains suspended until now, he said.
Atienza
stressed, however, that his department cannot revoke or
cancel the MPSA. “The validity of the MPSA had already
been affirmed by the Supreme Court [SC],” Atienza said.
“We have to respect and abide by the SC decision.”
The area
also covers 507 hectares, which some 318 Calatagan
farmers claimed as theirs through the emancipation
patents issued to them in 1989 to 1990 under the
government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. But
majority of the farmers subsequently abandoned their
claim over the area, leaving only 98 farmers still
actively pursuing their right of ownership over the said
area.
MGB
Director Horacio Ramos said although exploration
activity of Asturias in the area remains suspended, the
company’s (Asturias Industries) right over the area
still remains.
“Asturia’s exploration activity in the area remains
suspended since its exploration permit was suspended by
the DENR last month. However, [the] company’s right over
the area is still there because it has not committed any
violation as an MPSA holder,” Ramos said.
Some
Calatagan farmers have been asking Atienza to scrap the
MPSA between Asturias Industries and the national
government.
The
farmers also urged Atienza to issue a certification that
the Asturias mining area is not a mineralized area to
prevent any exploration and mining activities there.
Atienza
said he could not issue the certification the farmers
are asking for.
“At some
point in 1957 the DENR issued a certification that the
land is mineralized. Iyon ang gusto nilang bawiin ko.
I told them that I cannot just reverse the decision of
this department issued 50 years ago simply to give in to
the request of farmers who are now actively staging
rallies,” Atienza added. |
