BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Despite the controversies haunting their operations, the Australian mining firm tasked to implement the national government-sanctioned Didipio Gold-Copper Project, assured that the multibillion-peso venture would continue amid the series of protest actions it has been facing.
Ramoncito Gozar, Oceana Gold Philippines’ vice president for communications and external affairs, said that their operations would continue as scheduled and be as peaceful as possible in compliance with the firm’s commitment with the government amid the recent shooting incident that took place in their project area involving one of their security guards and a villager, which again heightened protest actions against the project.
If it pushes through, the Didipio project, located in the mountain boundary of this province and Quirino, would be the region’s first large-scale mining project. The national government is expecting to generate at least P30 billion in its 15-year operation, aside from the millions of pesos it would generate for the host local government units in terms of taxes and local employment.
Church-led anti-mining advocates’ opposition to the project was again aggravated by last month’s shooting incident, which was being blamed on the foreign firm. Said incident resulted to the wounding of a villager by a bullet from one of the firm’s security staff during the clearing operation of its mining area.
The incident also caught the attention of an international non governmental organization, which is now seeking an independent probe into the incident. Oxfam Australia ’s Mining Ombudsman Shanta Martin requested Philippine authorities for a thorough probe on it, describing the incident as alarming.
Last week, the provincial police formally submitted documents before the prosecutor’s office here “for appropriate legal action…relative to a case of frustrated murder” against suspect Whitney Dongiahon, of Sagittarius Security Agency, which the foreign firm had contracted to beef up its security personnel.
The complainant was identified as Emilio Pumihic, who was hit on his right shoulder due to a gunshot wound sustained during a “scuffle” with Dongiahon in a Department of Environment and Natural Resources-sanctioned clearing operation for the mining project’s construction phase in the area.
Some reports disclosed that Pumihic was shot behind by one of the firm’s security guards while some residents claimed that no scuffle took place. In his affidavit, however, Pumihic himself said that he was hit on his right arm with the bullet exiting at his upper back.
Pumihic said that he and other residents in the place were trying to prevent the demolition of their houses when the security guard shot him at point-blank range, a claim corroborated by one of the witnesses, Nena Nahpadan, in her separate affidavit.
However, Gozar described the incident as “isolated that nobody wanted to happen. But it’s very unfortunate that it happened.”
The firm belied the claims of Pumihic’s witnesses, stressing that their personnel, assisted by police contingent, were peacefully clearing their mining site of “shanties” when the victim, who allegedly appeared to be drunk, suddenly “provoked” their ranks.
Jake Foronda, Didipio project manager, claimed that Pumihic attempted to grab one of the guard’s firearms, which accidentally went off while they grappled for possession, causing Pumihic to be hit on the shoulder.
The firm even claimed they extended the necessary first aid treatment to the victim before he was brought to the Lagawe hospital in Ifugao, where he requested to be further treated.
Superintendent Domingo Lucas, officer-in-charge of the provincial police office, said Pumihic’s affidavit supported by a number of witnesses was the basis for them to endorse the complaint. CCL
Ramoncito Gozar, Oceana Gold Philippines’ vice president for communications and external affairs, said that their operations would continue as scheduled and be as peaceful as possible in compliance with the firm’s commitment with the government amid the recent shooting incident that took place in their project area involving one of their security guards and a villager, which again heightened protest actions against the project.
If it pushes through, the Didipio project, located in the mountain boundary of this province and Quirino, would be the region’s first large-scale mining project. The national government is expecting to generate at least P30 billion in its 15-year operation, aside from the millions of pesos it would generate for the host local government units in terms of taxes and local employment.
Church-led anti-mining advocates’ opposition to the project was again aggravated by last month’s shooting incident, which was being blamed on the foreign firm. Said incident resulted to the wounding of a villager by a bullet from one of the firm’s security staff during the clearing operation of its mining area.
The incident also caught the attention of an international non governmental organization, which is now seeking an independent probe into the incident. Oxfam Australia ’s Mining Ombudsman Shanta Martin requested Philippine authorities for a thorough probe on it, describing the incident as alarming.
Last week, the provincial police formally submitted documents before the prosecutor’s office here “for appropriate legal action…relative to a case of frustrated murder” against suspect Whitney Dongiahon, of Sagittarius Security Agency, which the foreign firm had contracted to beef up its security personnel.
The complainant was identified as Emilio Pumihic, who was hit on his right shoulder due to a gunshot wound sustained during a “scuffle” with Dongiahon in a Department of Environment and Natural Resources-sanctioned clearing operation for the mining project’s construction phase in the area.
Some reports disclosed that Pumihic was shot behind by one of the firm’s security guards while some residents claimed that no scuffle took place. In his affidavit, however, Pumihic himself said that he was hit on his right arm with the bullet exiting at his upper back.
Pumihic said that he and other residents in the place were trying to prevent the demolition of their houses when the security guard shot him at point-blank range, a claim corroborated by one of the witnesses, Nena Nahpadan, in her separate affidavit.
However, Gozar described the incident as “isolated that nobody wanted to happen. But it’s very unfortunate that it happened.”
The firm belied the claims of Pumihic’s witnesses, stressing that their personnel, assisted by police contingent, were peacefully clearing their mining site of “shanties” when the victim, who allegedly appeared to be drunk, suddenly “provoked” their ranks.
Jake Foronda, Didipio project manager, claimed that Pumihic attempted to grab one of the guard’s firearms, which accidentally went off while they grappled for possession, causing Pumihic to be hit on the shoulder.
The firm even claimed they extended the necessary first aid treatment to the victim before he was brought to the Lagawe hospital in Ifugao, where he requested to be further treated.
Superintendent Domingo Lucas, officer-in-charge of the provincial police office, said Pumihic’s affidavit supported by a number of witnesses was the basis for them to endorse the complaint. CCL
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