Letters from Overseas

June 2008

Greetings,

Last month the communities of the municipality of Licuan-Baay were remilitarized. Elements of the armed forces of the Philippines lived in the communities for almost two months at the beginning of the year, but had left in April, to the relief of the community members. However, in the last three weeks soldiers have moved back into the communities in even larger numbers than before. These soldiers are camping in the houses and yards of the residents, operating armed patrols day and night, and making census of the community members. All of these activities violate the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

The residents of Licuan-Baay believe that the military presence is connected to their unwillingness to allow large-scale mining in their municipality. The Canadian gold mining company, Olympus Pacific Minerals, started exploring for gold in the municipality in 2007 without first seeking the consent of the Binongan people, the Indigenous majority of Licuan-Baay, a violation of the Philippine Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts of 1997. The company was forced to stop their exploration activities until they received consent. The consent process is almost finished and the communities have registered an overwhelming disapproval for any mining activities in their municipality, which will lead to the destruction of their land, livelihoods, and way of life.

The elements of the armed forces arrived in Licuan-Baay in the last leg of talks between the company and the communities, as it became evident that the company would not receive consent. The soldiers have been intimidating and threatening anti-mining community leaders, and have been branding them publically as terrorists. The Binognan people are standing strong in their opposition to large-scale gold mining in their area, but they are afraid to face the military violence and the extrajudicial killings that have happened in other municipalities that have not given consent to foreign mining companies.

Licuan-Baay is a small, rural municipality in the lush mountains of the province of Abra. Rice farming is still the main form of livelihood for the people of the municipality's 11 barangays (villages). The Binognan People continue to speak their Indigenous language and are working to protect their Indigenous culture from increasing Western influence.

The people of Licuan-Baay have welcomed me into their lives with the same easy familiarity as Maritimers. They have a strong sense of family, and a sense of hospitality that makes every kitchen feel like my grandmother's kitchen. They work their land with the same aggressive tenacity and tender care that my father works our forests. The girls paint their nails in the sun on Saturday afternoons and the boys play endless basketball in the public courts. The women gossip about soap operas and new babies and the men crowd around boxing the way Canadian men crowd around hockey. And they have a wonderful ability to laugh at themselves and their situation that is so Canadian I could practically be standing in New Brunswick. I have gotten to know these people, and if I could be anywhere in the Philippines most of the time I would pick Licuan-Baay.

I am terrified for my friends in the face of the remilitarization. They have the right to say no to this mining project. Standing up for themselves in the face of such heavy pressure is almost certainly going to lead to violence against them. And though I am praying for their safety, and I ask that you pray for them as well, praying is not enough. We also need to stand in solidarity with the people in Licuan-Baay. We need to make it clear to the Philippine government, the Canadian government, and Olympus Pacific Minerals that we condemn the military presence in Licuan-Baay and the use of intimidation and pressure to gain consent for mining activities in the municipality.

The Binongan people of Licuan-Baay are fighting courageously for the respect of their rights in the face of a large multinational corporation and elements of the military threatening their lives and way of life. I invite you to match their efforts. Please send the attached Cordillera People's Alliance Letter of Concern [RTF: 2 pp/32 KB] to the addresses indicated below.

In Solidarity,
Nicole

Please send your letters to the following:

Canadian Government

Hon. David Emerson
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Tel: 613-943-0267
Fax: 613-943-0219
E-mail: Hon. David Emerson

Bob Rae
Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Tel: 613-992-5234
Fax: 613-996-9607
E-mail: Bob Rae
(Toronto Centre riding is where Olympus Pacific Minerals is based)

Philippine Government

H. E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace,
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila, Philippines
Tel: 632-564-1451 to 80
Fax: 632-742-1642/929.3968
Cell: 639-19.898.4622 / 639-17-839-8462
E-mail: H. E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Hon. Purificacion V. Quisumbing
Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Blg., UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: 632-928-5655/632-926.6188
Fax: 632-929-0102
E-mail: Hon. Purificacion V. Quisumbing

Sec. Jose L. Atienza Jr
Department of Environment & Natural Resources
Central Office, Visayas Avenue
Diliman, 1100, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: 632-928-0691 to 93, ext. 2003, 2008
Sec. Jose L. Atienza Jr