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A Catholic bishop hinted his diocese will enchantment to the incoming authorities to declare the island province of Marinduque a mining-free zone.
Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. of Boac mentioned the plan is to jot down to the Marcos administration to assist them of their marketing campaign to guard the island’s setting and communities.
“Then we’ll ask the nationwide authorities to declare the province of Marinduque as mining-free,” Maralit mentioned in a video interview with Caritas Philippines.
In response to him, about 83 p.c of the small island is “mineable”. “And if we let the miners in, nothing will probably be left of the island,” he mentioned.
Marinduque is called a cautionary story in regards to the environmental ravages of mining.
After the Marcopper mining tragedy in 1993, Mogpog River has been thought-about biologically useless, which, previous to the catastrophe, was beneficial pure useful resource to villages alongside the river.
Closely silted with mine tailings, Boac River additionally suffered the identical destiny in 1996.
Final month, an area court docket ordered the Marcopper Mining Corp. to pay damages claimed by individuals affected by the nation’s worst mining catastrophe.
READ: Marinduque court docket orders compensation for victims of 1993 mining catastrophe
The mining agency was directed to pay P200,000 as temperate damages, P100,000 ethical damages, and P1 million as exemplary damages to at the least 30 plaintiffs.
However the bishop known as it solely a ‘small victory’, including that extra instances towards Marcopper stay pending for a few years now.
“There may be nonetheless a protracted technique to go for a complete victory,” Maralit mentioned.”However this small victory provides braveness for all those that advocate for environmental justice.”
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