OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI) on Tuesday denied the allegations made by a bishop from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayombong, along with communities and civil society in Nueva Vizcaya, who filed a Petition for Certiorari and Mandamus to cancel the 2021 renewal of the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) on Monday, 22 April.

Refuting the charges, OGPI furnished DAILY TRIBUNE with a resolution from Barangay Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya "disapproving" or "declining" the request of Didipio Earth Saver's Multi-purpose Association (DESAMA) on their call to support the cancellation of the renewed FTAA of OGPI.

Rev. Elmer Mangalinao, D.D., who serves as the Bishop of the Diocese of Bayombong, along with DESAMA, have lodged a challenge against the FTAA granted to OGPI, alleging violations of the constitutional guarantee of local autonomy and failure to carry out prior consultation and environmental impact assessment.

In the 400-page petition filed before the Regional Trial Court in Bayombong, the petitioners led by Bp. 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.

In a press conference after the filing, the group further said the communities were never consulted.

Barangay Didipio Resolution No.13 stated that on 24 January 2024, the Barangay Office received a letter from DESAMA addressed to Hon. Henry D. Guay. The letter informed the office of their petition sent to the Office of the President, expressing their continuous opposition to FTAA-OOI and reiterating their demand for the cancellation of the renewed FTAA001. DESAMA cited non-compliance with sections 26 and 27 of the Local Government Code as grounds for their petition and called for the support of this body.

"Whereas, after a thorough review and deliberation, all council members are of the opinion that the Company (OGPI) has undergone the renewal process for the FTAA with the Government and has satisfactorily complied with all the requirements for the completion of the FTAA renewal. The Company has all the permits and licenses necessary for the lawful continuation of its operations," the village resolution said.

The barangay leaders emphasized that as leaders of the barangay responsible for representing all residents and not just association members, it is their duty to "uphold and adhere to the law".

"This body respects the overwhelming support among the residents for the continued operations of the Didipio Mine," they said in their resolution.

They also sent the copy of their resolution to the Office of the President in Malacañang which was received on 7 March this year.