Amid Sagitarrius Mines Inc. (SMI)’s Tampakan mining project development, a group of Roman Catholic bishops from South Central Mindanao has filed a petition in Malacañang and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to declare illegal the contract extension granted to the mining firm.
In a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) said that the prelates argued that the financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) extension in 2020 granted to SMI by DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau was deemed unconstitutional.
The FTAA oversees mining activities entered by governments and firms for large-scale exploration, development, and utilization of certain minerals like gold, nickel, and copper, among others.
Most Rev. Cerilo Casicas, Bishop of the Diocese of Marbel, stated that the awarded stretch was beyond the authority of MGB. The agreement should be voided since it imposes a critical impact on the environment, he added.
Among those who signed the petitions are bishops representing communities that would be affected by the mining project including Most Rev. Angelito Lampon, archbishop of Cotabato; Most Rev. Jose Colin Bagaforo, bishop of the Diocese of Kidapawan; and Most Rev. Guillermo Afable, bishop of the Diocese of Digos.
Meanwhile, LRC’s Direct Legal Services Coordinator Lawyer Rolly Peoro said that the SMI should have executed consultations, environmental impact assessment, and other regulatory compliances for contract renewal, to ensure that its utilization is held accountable to the highest office, through rigorous regulatory scrutiny.
Last August, SMI announced that it intended to initiate Tampakan mining project operations by the fourth quarter of 2023 and that it had begun preconstruction activities.
