Manicani: Human Rights Violations and Large-Scale Mining Threats

ring, thus, ending a quarter of a century of mining operations that have caused deep divisions in the community and man-made environmental destruction. To the dismay of anti-mining groups and residents, the local government units (LGUs) in Manicani and the legislative bodies of the Municipality of Guiuan and the Province of Eastern Samar issued separate resolutions supporting HMC’s application to renew its MPSA covering Manicani. Unknown to them, HMC has submitted its application for renewal as early as last year or more than a year before the expiry of its 25-year MPSA due on October 27, 2017. Not long thereafter, the four barangay councils of Manicani issued a resolution supporting HMC’s renewal. This was followed by the Guiuan Sanggunian Bayan’s resolution which also supported HMC’s renewal. Meanwhile the Sanggunian Panlalawigan interposed no objection to the endorsements instead, reaffirmed the same for the perceived economic benefits that the LGUs and communities may reap from the “ sustainable and responsible mining as practiced by HMC”. Notably, the resolutions in favor of large-scale mining in Manicani were issued despite the effectivity of the 2003 Provincial Ordinance against large-scale mining. At the national level, the endorsements come at a time when the existing ban on open pit mining institutionalized by then DENR Secretray Lopez is being revisited by the incumbent Secretary, Roy Cimatu. The Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), jointly chaired by the Secretaries of DENR and the Department of Finance (DOF), recently voted to lift the ban. Peoples’ Response
As a response to the renewed threat to pursue large-scale mining operations in Manicani, Manicani residents under Protect Manicani Island Society (PROMISI) and Save Manicani Movment (SAMAMO) staged protest actions supported by the Diocese of Borongan and support organizations which include the Philippine Miserior Partnership, Inc. (PMPI), Homonhon Environmental Rescuers Organization (HERO), Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) Sanlakas, Bulig Visayas, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA). At the DENR Regional Office in Tacloban City, Manicani residents are camping out to express the strongest opposition to the renewal of HMC’s MPSA and the plan to lift the ban on open pit mining. On October 27, 2017, protest actions were held in Tacloban City, Borongan and Guiuan as indignation to the LGU support extended to the HMC renewal. On November 7, 2017, around 35 Manicani and Homonhon residents will stage a 4-day caravan from Guiuan, Eastern Samar to Metro Manila which will culminate in a camp out at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City to heighten the protest against large-scale mining in Guiuan and the lifting of the ban on open pit mining.