Cagayan town mayor and Philippine Army harass peasants to sign mining endorsement

By CPP Information Bureau

Gonzaga town mayor Carlito Pentecostes Jr has forced barangay (village) officials of Barangay Calayan, Cagayan to sign an endorsement to the provincial government for the continued operations of imperialist magnetite mining in the said town.

Pentecostes, a known ally of the Enrile political dynasty, was accompanied by a platoon of the 17th Infantry Battalion (Philippine Army) soldiers on 8 January when he met with barangay officials. Instead of holding a barangay consultation first, the officials were told to sign the mining endorsement penned by Pentecostes. Those who at first refused were tagged as "New People's Army supporters" and risked continuous harassment by the military.

This threat was further echoed at a barangay meeting, held by the mayor, on January 12. Again, 17th IB soldiers were present.

Imperialist mining in northeastern Cagayan is being pursued by local officials loyal to the Enrile dynasty in spite of widespread people's dissent. The 17th IB and Philippine National Police have served as main security forces of these officials, conducting military operations and harassing peasant leaders. Since 2006, protest actions of the people have been continuous and barricades have been set up to prevent mining operations of Taiwanese company Unimaster Conglomeration Incorporated (UCI).

UCI mining for magnetite has resulted in the destruction of farm lands, irrigation facilities and the Wangag River, once touted as the country's cleanest river. A campaign against imperialist mining has spread from Gonzaga to nearby towns of Sta. Ana, Buguey, Lallo, Camalaniugan and Aparri, all of which are mining areas.

On 2 December, UCI operations finally halted when the New People's Army destroyed the company's equipment as punishment for the UCI's devastation of the people's livelihood and Gonzaga's natural resources.

The endorsement being pushed now by Mayor Pentecostes is for the mining operations of one Huan xia Corporation, which is UCI's replacement.

Reference:
Jansel Reyes,
Media Officer
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
Cagayan Valley Region
[email protected]