Bishop leads court plea vs Oceanagold 

A petition for certiorari and mandamus to cancel the 2021 renewal of the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) issued to mining firm OceanaGold Philippines, Inc. (OGPI) was filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayombong with representatives of communities and civil society in Nueva Vizcaya on Monday.

The groups alleged OGPI of violating the constitutional guarantee of local autonomy and failure to conduct a prior consultation and environmental impact assessment. 

In his homily delivered last Sunday anticipating the case filing and to mark Earth Day,  Rev. Elmer Mangalinao, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Bayombong and petitioner in the case, said the renewal is illegal.

“I am putting myself on the line for our environment. And I ask you to rally behind us,” he said. 

In the 400-page petition filed before the Regional Trial Court in Bayombong, the petitioners led by Mangalinao argued that under sections 26 and 27 of the Local Government Code,  the national government is required to conduct local consultation and secure prior consent for every environmentally critical project, including the renewal of Oceanagold’s FTAA.

Residents: No problem

Didipio Barangay chairperson Henry Guay said that he learned of the filing of the case when he was visiting Bayombong.

The residents of Didipio support the operations of Didipio mine. What I can’t understand is that the issue is being drummed up by groups based in Manila. We have a peaceful community. They should stop making noise at our expense, Guay said.

In a press conference after the filing, the group added that Presidential Decree 1151, Presidential Decree 1586, and the Philippine Mining Act itself require an Environmental Clearance Certificate and Environmental Impact Statement based on an Environmental Impact Assessment for every environmentally critical project.

The Nueva Vizcaya provincial government’s Environment Code, Ordinance 2014-108, also strictly prohibits the open pit mining of the Didipio Mine. The petitioners argued that Oceanagold’s open pit mining continued to operate three years after the open pit mining ban was instituted, and continues to be maintained at present despite the prohibition.