Bishops express environmental concerns

Bicol prelates initiate discussion on sentiments against government as world celebrates Earth Day

Manila Times
Thursday, April 23, 2009
By Rhaydz Barcia, Correspondent


LEGAZPI CITY: As the world commemorates the 39th International Earth Day Wednesday, the six prelates of Bicol region shared their pains with Pope Benedict XVI—the ordeal they’re going through over the resumption of an open pit mining operation in Rapu-Rapu, Albay.

The Archdiocese of Legazpi led by Bishop Lucilo Quiambao, apostolic administrator, initiated a round table discussion with the academe, civic group organizations and other stakeholders expressing their sentiments against the government as the world celebrates the 39th World Earth Day.

“It is a cry of a children to a father. We, the Bicol bishops sent a letter to his holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican to bring out our sentiments. We’re referring to the intransigence of the Philippine government in allowing a multinational company to continue an open-pit mining operation on a small island [Rapu-Rapu, Albay] in the Diocese of Legazpi, within our ecclesiastical province, in spite of our appeals to have it stopped because of its destructive consequences on the island and its surroundings,” Bishop Lucilo Quiambao said during the Earth Day 2009 round table discussion on the mining situation in the Bicol region held at the Bishop House on Wednesday morning here.

“We did not send the letter to Malacañang because we’re fed up. The powers that be, they’re not doing anything about the Rapu-Rapu mining operation of LG Kores, instead all pakitang tao. The poor people of Rapu-Rapu are being manipulated and bribed by the new management, the LG Kores, just to get an endorsement and approval from the people,” Quiambao lamented.

The six Bicol prelates, Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi of Metropolitan Archbishop of Caceres, Most Rev. Lucilo Quiambao of Legazpi, Most Rev. Joel Baylon of Masbate, Most Rev. Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, Most Rev. Manolo de los Santos of Virac, Most Rev. Gilbert Garcera of Daet and Most Rev. Jose Rojas Jr., of Ligmanan said in a letter to Pope Benedict XVI that they’re disgusted with President Gloria Arroyo’s action.

In a two-page letter to the Pope, the prelates said that even prior to the start of mining operations, various environmental groups have already opposed the project based on findings of many scientific investigations that declared the Rapu-Rapu Island unsuitable for mining because of the potential ecological damage it can bring to the island.

“Indeed, the island is geographically situated in such a way that it is constantly vulnerable to typhoons and heavy rain. Considering further that the island is made up of such hilly terrain, scientists warned that the mine could have direct and long term environmental impact on the island through acid rock drainage and toxic discharges,” it said.

According to them, opposition to the project grew even more after two mining tailings spillage in October 11 and October 30, 2005, causing massive fish kills in the island.

Most affected by these incidents were the Diocese of Legazpi and the Diocese of Sorsogon, the prelates said.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in its general assembly on January 2006 said the Rapu-Rapu mining case was brought to the attention of the bishops.

The bishops decided to issue a pastoral letter appealing to the Philippine government to impose moratorium on mining activities. They even went as far as recommend the repeal of the Mining Act of l995.

“As if listening to the recommendations of the bishops, President Gloria Arroyo appointed Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon to head a fact-finding commission to investigate the Rapu-Rapu mining accidents of 2005. Composed of scientists and mining experts, the commission soundly recommended the closure of the facility on the basis of its natural unsuitability for mining and after the commission found the mining facility and actual operations there not measuring up to safety standards. The commission’s recommendations, however, was swiftly cast aside,” the prelates said.

Following the resumption of mining operations in Rapu-Rapu last year, protest action mounted. Due to this, the Catholic Church has come to the forefront.

Quiambao, besides issuing a pastoral letter calling for a stop to mining in Rapu-Rapu Island , joined public protests.

In 2007, the Bicol bishops lent their support and issued a statement supporting the resolution passed by the municipal council of Rapu-Rapu declaring a state of calamity on Rapu-Rapu Island .

The council and the prelates appealed to the local and national government agencies to heed the voice and clamour for help of the people of Rapu-Rapu calling on them to act in the best interest of the people.

“All of these, however, your Holiness, have fallen on deaf ears. We dare not seek your intercession for obvious reasons, particularly the sensitive political protocol it would involve. We’re aware that we should be guided by your words that building a just social and civil order as a political task cannot be the church’s immediate responsibility. The Church as you further said, cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible.

“Yet again, since it is also a most important human responsibility, the Church is duty-bound to offer, through the purification of reason and through ethical formation, her own specific contribution towards understanding the requirements of justice and achieving them politically,” the prelates pointed out.

Engr. Virgilio Perdigon, Jr., external vice president, Pangataman-Bicol Board of Trustees and other environmental group, lauded and supported the Bicol bishops’ anti-Rapu-Rapu mining letter to the Pope.

“We welcome and support this letter to the Pope by the bishops because it is a way to highlight the environmental degradation being experienced by the island of Rapu-Rapu but the whole region as well,” Perdigon said.

Perdigon, who is also a professor of Aquinas University of Legazpi, said they’re hoping the Philippine and local governments would act positively on their plea to permanently close the Rapu-Rapu mining operation.

“We just hope now that the Philippine and local governments would act positively on our plea and not just pay lip service to the protection of our environment,” Perdigon said.