BEN SERRANO
Contributing editor
LIBERTAD, BUTUAN CITY—The Philippine National Police leadership in Caraga Region today described the New People’s Army attacks in Tubay, Agusan del Norte as cowardly, terrorist and serious criminal acts as it called the Filipino people not to be “forgiving” of such condemnable acts.
In a press statement issued today by the Caraga Police Regional Information Office, Police Senior Supt. Nestor Monton Fajura, Chief of Planning and Operations and Regional Information Officer of the Police Regional Office-13 described the communist rebels’ raid as “unforgiving” and worth condemning.
“This is the trademark of the CPP/NPA in celebrating their anniversary. They sow terror. They do atrocities. While other organizations commemorate their anniversaries with good projects and activities, the CPP/NPA would like to celebrate theirs and be remembered for terror and atrocities”, Fajura who is also Caraga PNP spokesman said in the press statement.
Fajura added that this belies the claim of the CPP/NPA that they are pro-poor and pro-people. The people should not be forgiving of these atrocities”.
Earlier, NDF-NEMRC spokesperson Maria Malaya in the NPA press statement described the Tubay raids as victory of the Filipino people especially of the oppressed and downtrodden who sees no justice before corrupt justice system of the country.
Malaya claimed the Tubay raids were meant to punish alleged abusive mining firm San Roque Mining Incorporated and corrupt politicians mentioning the names of Tubay Mayor Fidel Garcia, Jr and the Amante clan.
The New People’s Army claimed Amante, Garcia and allies were the ones only benefiting from the mining activities of the S.R. Metals and other mining activities in the province.
Last November, the NPA rebels attacked a copper mining plant and shot to death the mining guard in Putting Bato, Cababdbaran City allegedly owned by the Amante clan and mineral ore businessmen allies based in Cabadbaran City.
As of press time, Agusan del Norte Governor Erlpe John Amante and his father, Rep. Edelmiro Atega Amante (KAMPI-second district Agusan del Norte) including Tubay, Agusan del Norte Mayor Fidel Garcia, Jr. have not issued so far press statement in reply to the New People’s Army allegations.
S.R Metals Mining Incorporated (SRMI) owned by the Gutierrez family in Manila has started in 2003 in small-scale nickel mining operations despite strong opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and environmentalists groups.
S.R. Metals Mining Inc. then was joined then in their small-scale nickel mining operations by sister companies, Galeo Equipment Company and San Roque Construction and Development Corporation.
Several complaints and protests were hurled against the small-scale mining operations of said firms headed by Tubay Parish Priest Fr. Jenor Luis and environmentalists groups and parishioners claiming it violated the small-scale mining laws since it used huge heavy equipment not hand tools.
In 2006, despite opposition from no less than Butuan Bishop Juan De Dios Pueblos, D.D. and the entire Tubay Roman Catholic Parish headed by Fr. Jenor Luis who spearheaded some demonstrations in the past, EMB, Bureau of Mines and Geo-Sciences DENR offices have approved the SRMI’s large-scale mining permit application.
Said government agencies claimed the mining firm have not grossly violated existing Philippine laws.