CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The environmental group Makakalikasan Party has condemned the reported illegal mining activities of Chinese foreigners in Iponan River here.
It said the mining activities have destroyed at least 10 hectares of the river delta, which is a critical area for biodiversity and water resources.
The illegal mining activities have been going on,
despite the Writ of Kalikasan and a Writ of Continuing Mandamus issued by the
Court of Appeals in 2013. These writs are powerful legal tools that can be used
to protect the environment. It orders government agencies to take action to
stop environmental damage.
The Makakalikasan Party called on the government to
take immediate action to ensure that all illegal mining activities in Iponan
River are permanently stopped. “The government must also investigate and
prosecute the individuals and groups responsible for the destruction of the river
delta,” the group said.
The group also reiterated its position on its Reclaiming Natural Patrimony Agenda, which calls for a moratorium on all mining operations in the country for up to two decades. “This extreme position reflects the extent of the destruction of our critical ecosystems due to even legal mining operations. If legal mining operations are already seen as critically problematic, much more on illegal mining operations in an area already covered by judicial remedy,” said Roy Cabonegro, president of the Makakalikasan Party.
The Makakalikasan Party chairperson Orlanda
Ravanera also said that the Writ of Kalikasan in Iponan River must be upheld at
all costs. “Heads must roll for violators; including conniving government
enforcers who allow illegal mining to happen,” Ravanera said. (Mindanao
Examiner)
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