Tampakan FTAA extension denounced

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) denounced the extension of the Tampakan Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted to Sagittarius Mines, Inc (SMI), which it said was stealthily hidden from public knowledge, and only belatedly discovered.

Rene Pamplona, Chairperson of ATM and Convergence of Initiatives for Environmental Justice (CIEJ), said “the extension establishes a serious and dangerous pattern of silently approving the renewal and extension of mining contracts without the required public consultations and approval of the local governments.”

He pointed out that the extension of the Tampakan FTAA is similar to the renewal of OceanaGold’s FTAA in Nueva Vizcaya, which was done without public consultations. “We warn against this practice being normalized as this goes against the requirements of our laws.”

According to a news report, the Tampakan FTAA has been extended to another six (6) years or until 2038, following its first extension to 12 years or until 2032 from 2020. The second extension was granted through an order issued on June 14, 2022 by then Acting DENR Secretary Jim Sampulna, just days before President Rodrigo Duterte stepped down from office.  

Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, said “this lack of transparency is highly objectionable, and shows government’s disregard for the right to information and public consultations of Filipinos, especially the affected communities.”

“The lack of consultations is inconsistent with the mandate of our laws, which recognizes that social acceptability is vital in approving mining agreements” added Garganera. “It is utterly disturbing that only a few people decide on a massive project that will destroy the environment and adversely impact tens of thousands of people.”

Meanwhile, Pamplona also underscored that large-scale mining virtually goes against the Philippine commitments to climate emergency. “We have seen how mining has brought about flooding and landslides, especially during typhoons. Instead of extending mining contracts, our government should focus on climate adaptation and mitigation measures,” he said.

“We seriously doubt government’s capacity to handle such a huge project -  which has dire environmental consequences - given the country's track record on corruption, mining monitoring and management of calamities,” he added.

“Lastly, we don't believe that the mining project will bring economic prosperity to the country. It should be noted that South Cotabato is already classified as a first class province and Tampakan a first class municipality without mining,” stressed Pamplona who is a resident of Tampakan and part of the strong resistance against mining in the region.

“Besides, it is terribly unjust that SMI’s contract was extended when they have tax issues to settle. They still have huge obligations to the local government, the exact reason why the Tampakan LGU cancelled their business permit,” Pamplona concluded.