BY TED M. BOEHNERT
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya--Contrary to earlier reports, the provincial police here admitted it has no official findings yet in connection with the shooting incident involving a security personnel of an Australian mining firm and a villager in a remote mining village here last month.
Senior Superintendent Domingo Lucas, officer-in-charge of the provincial police office, yesterday (01 April) said that they filed the other day a case of frustrated murder before the prosecutor’s office here against Whitney Dongiahon of Sagittarius Security Agency, which the Oceana Gold Philippines contracted to provide security for its multibillion Didipio Gold-Copper Project in Barangay Didipio, Kasibu town here.
But sources who had gotten possession of the complaint sheet filed by the police questioned the relative haste by which it had been made with some alleging that this was due to undue pressure being meted on the police by persons or sectors who are involved in the anti-mining campaign.
“The problem with these anti-mining groups is that they want such incidents to happen so that they could use them as reasons to solicit funds from funding sources abroad in the name of their advocacy,” a source said.
Lucas admitted they endorsed the case to the prosecutor’s office here based merely on the affidavit complaint of one Emilio Pumihic, who was hit on his right shoulder due to gunshot sustained during what the firm described as a scuffle with Dongiahon during a clearing operation for the mining project’s construction phase in the area.
“Our role is only to file the complaint against the company. It is up to the prosecutor’s office to decide if there is probable cause for a filing of the case with the courts or not. We will just be serving as witnesses during the case,” Lucas said.
Meanwhile, the victim himself in his affidavit belied allegations of some sources that he had been shot treacherously at the back at point-blank range, saying clearly in his affidavit complaint that the bullet that hit him penetrated his right arm and exited on his back.
Lucas, himself, denied the said reports of Pumihic’s being shot at the back,saying that “it was clearly stated in his affidavit that he was hit on his right arm.”
What Lucas claimed as their so-called formal investigation report was the letter signed by investigator PO2 Crisanto Jasmin of the provincial special operations group which was attached to the complaints of Pumihic and other witnesses.
“There is no other report,” Lucas admitted.
In his affidavit, Pumihic described himself as a small-scale miner, one whose activities in the area had earlier been banned by the provincial and national government to pave way for the operations of Oceana Gold, scheduled to be the first large-scale miing operation in Cagayan Valley .
Meanwhile, sources from Oceana Gold described the unjfortunate incident should not be a cause for the delay of the project.
“Nobody wanted the incident to happen since it will affect the development of Didipio village as well as the millions of dollars that have already been invested by the company in the area. The Church and the anti-mining groups will surely not be affected, but the people in the area who will be losing their jobs surely will,” an observer said.
Oceana sources also said that they still stand by their story that the incident involving the villager was a result of a scuffle between the villager and a security guard of the company after the former refused to lay down his bolo and even tried to grab the guard’s firearm, causing it to go off and accidentally wound the victim on the right shoulder.
Ramoncito Gozar, Oceana‘s associate director for communications, said the incident came about when the victim and several other residents tried to provoke the security guards of the company so that they would act harshly against the residents of the village who refused to leave the area despite most already being compensated.
He and other sources from the mining firm, however, stressed that there was no truth at all to allegations that the security guards willfully hurt the victim at pointblank range.
Aside from this, sources from the mining firm said that they were ready to compensate the residents of their shanties to be demolished to give way to construction activities in time for the eventual full commercial operation of the mine.
What they did not like was that shanties were continuously sprouting in the area where the commercial operation would take place, which is in Dinkidi Hill, even in areas which they had already compensated house owners.
Oceana Gold officials also said that Pumihic, who was allegedly drunk, and his companions tried to prevent the demolition team from dismantling their shanties and were obviously “provoking” the security guards.
Pumihic, after being hit by the accidental gunfire, even refused first aid treatment to be given by nurses from the company and insisted on being confined at a hospital in Ifugao. THB
Senior Superintendent Domingo Lucas, officer-in-charge of the provincial police office, yesterday (01 April) said that they filed the other day a case of frustrated murder before the prosecutor’s office here against Whitney Dongiahon of Sagittarius Security Agency, which the Oceana Gold Philippines contracted to provide security for its multibillion Didipio Gold-Copper Project in Barangay Didipio, Kasibu town here.
But sources who had gotten possession of the complaint sheet filed by the police questioned the relative haste by which it had been made with some alleging that this was due to undue pressure being meted on the police by persons or sectors who are involved in the anti-mining campaign.
“The problem with these anti-mining groups is that they want such incidents to happen so that they could use them as reasons to solicit funds from funding sources abroad in the name of their advocacy,” a source said.
Lucas admitted they endorsed the case to the prosecutor’s office here based merely on the affidavit complaint of one Emilio Pumihic, who was hit on his right shoulder due to gunshot sustained during what the firm described as a scuffle with Dongiahon during a clearing operation for the mining project’s construction phase in the area.
“Our role is only to file the complaint against the company. It is up to the prosecutor’s office to decide if there is probable cause for a filing of the case with the courts or not. We will just be serving as witnesses during the case,” Lucas said.
Meanwhile, the victim himself in his affidavit belied allegations of some sources that he had been shot treacherously at the back at point-blank range, saying clearly in his affidavit complaint that the bullet that hit him penetrated his right arm and exited on his back.
Lucas, himself, denied the said reports of Pumihic’s being shot at the back,saying that “it was clearly stated in his affidavit that he was hit on his right arm.”
What Lucas claimed as their so-called formal investigation report was the letter signed by investigator PO2 Crisanto Jasmin of the provincial special operations group which was attached to the complaints of Pumihic and other witnesses.
“There is no other report,” Lucas admitted.
In his affidavit, Pumihic described himself as a small-scale miner, one whose activities in the area had earlier been banned by the provincial and national government to pave way for the operations of Oceana Gold, scheduled to be the first large-scale miing operation in Cagayan Valley .
Meanwhile, sources from Oceana Gold described the unjfortunate incident should not be a cause for the delay of the project.
“Nobody wanted the incident to happen since it will affect the development of Didipio village as well as the millions of dollars that have already been invested by the company in the area. The Church and the anti-mining groups will surely not be affected, but the people in the area who will be losing their jobs surely will,” an observer said.
Oceana sources also said that they still stand by their story that the incident involving the villager was a result of a scuffle between the villager and a security guard of the company after the former refused to lay down his bolo and even tried to grab the guard’s firearm, causing it to go off and accidentally wound the victim on the right shoulder.
Ramoncito Gozar, Oceana‘s associate director for communications, said the incident came about when the victim and several other residents tried to provoke the security guards of the company so that they would act harshly against the residents of the village who refused to leave the area despite most already being compensated.
He and other sources from the mining firm, however, stressed that there was no truth at all to allegations that the security guards willfully hurt the victim at pointblank range.
Aside from this, sources from the mining firm said that they were ready to compensate the residents of their shanties to be demolished to give way to construction activities in time for the eventual full commercial operation of the mine.
What they did not like was that shanties were continuously sprouting in the area where the commercial operation would take place, which is in Dinkidi Hill, even in areas which they had already compensated house owners.
Oceana Gold officials also said that Pumihic, who was allegedly drunk, and his companions tried to prevent the demolition team from dismantling their shanties and were obviously “provoking” the security guards.
Pumihic, after being hit by the accidental gunfire, even refused first aid treatment to be given by nurses from the company and insisted on being confined at a hospital in Ifugao. THB
Wow Ted! What police report are you seeking? Are you imagining the police to give a thick report outlining their opinion on the shooting incident?
ReplyDeleteThe sworn statements of the victim and the witnesses are enough to file a complaint. You are saying they have done it in haste - look at your calendar - the shooting took place in March 22, the information was filed before the prosecutor's office on March 31 - nine days Ted. If your were in Emilio's shoes, how long would you want to file a case?
You mentioned your "sources" have accessed the sworn statement of the victim and the witnesses, how come you did not even lifted a finger to quote any of it? Tsk tsk tsk, this is ridiculous!