Envi and HR groups decry Romualdez’ mining interests and push for ChaCha

ATM Statement | March 13, 2024

Members of Alyansa Tigil Mina marched to the Batasang Pambansa today to denounce the machinations of House Speaker Martin Romualdez to revise the 1987 Constitution while amassing wealth through his and his family’s mining companies.

Referring to Speaker Romualdez as “Swapang sa Pera, Ganid sa Kapangyarihan,” the demonstrators called on government to junk proposals to change the charter as well as to stop destructive mining operations in different sites of struggles (SoS).

Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, said that Speaker Romualdez is preoccupied with advancing his own vested interests instead of prioritizing the needs of the Filipino. “We suspect Speaker Romualdez is eager to change the Constitution so that political reforms could be introduced that would either extend his term in office or make him Prime Minister,” he said.

ATM has earlier announced the results of its study where Speaker Romualdez’ family was found to have links with mining companies, such as Benguet Corporation and Marcventures Holdings Inc.

“What needs to be changed is not the Constitution but RA 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. The law, which paved the way for relentless large-scale mining, needs to be repealed and replaced by the Alternative Minerals Management Bill,” he said. “The AMMB would rationalize the use of minerals and consider their social, economic and ecological impacts.”

Romy Robles, a farmer from Nueva Vizcaya, said that while mining companies earn from their lands’ minerals, the communities suffer from loss of livelihood, contaminated water and human rights violations. “Habang kumikita ang mga minahan sa mga minerals ng aming lupa, ang mga komunidad naman ay nawawalan ng hanap-buhay, nalalason ang tubig at nilalabag ang karapatan.”

Meanwhile, Ma. Clara Dullas, President, Kababaihang Dumagat ng Sierra Madre said revising the Constitution by allowing 100% foreign ownership of lands is detrimental to the Filipinos, not only to the IPs. “Ang ChaCha ay hindi pabor sa mga Filipino, di lang sa katutubo. Ang mga malalaking korporasyon lang ang makikinabang sa mga lupa na pinaglaban ng mga ninuno,” said Dullas.

“Ang aming panawagan ay hindi ChaCha, kundi ibigay ang lupa ng mga katutubo at magsasaka. Ang kailangan ng mga tao ay lupa, pagkain, trabaho, maayos na kapaligiran at kalikasan. Ito dapat ang inuuna ng gobyerno, hindi ang pagsusulong ng ChaCha,” said Dullas.

“Ang dapat na iniisip ng ating mga lider ay ang kapakanan ng mamamayan, lalo na ang mga darating na henerasyon. Sa halip na ChaCha, dapat na solusyonan ang mas lumalalang krisis sa edukasyon at bigyang halaga ang pagkakaroon ng maayos at disenteng trabaho para sa mga kabataan," said Erika de la Cruz of Akbayan Youth.

“Dapat ding tutukan ng gobyerno ang seryosong pagpapahinto ng mga reclamation projects at seabed quarrying sa Manila Bay na malaking perwisyo sa kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda at panganib sa likas na yaman ng dagat,” said Romeo Miranda, fisherfolk leader from Cavite and member of Kabitenyong Laban sa Seabed Quarrying (KALASAG)

The protest action in Congress is part of the alliance’ Anti-Mining Solidarity Week, which involves a series of activities, both at the national and local level, highlighting the impacts of mining and the resistance in the communities.