June 18, 2007

Kalikasan condemns killing of Mario Auxilio, says extrajudicial killings of environmental activists continues

Is the Arroyo administration resorting to assassinating environmental advocates who oppose the plunderous and destructive resource extraction projects supported by the government?

This was the question posed by Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) National Coordinator Clemente Bautista Jr. as the nationwide environmental network condemned the extrajudicial killing of environmental activist Mario Auxilio last weekend.

June 8, 2007

Huge commercial logging permits issued by gov't makes tree-planting projects futile

Planting seedlings to combat global warming is useless if the Arroyo administration continues to promote the plunder of our forests with commercial logging permits, environmental activist organization Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) stressed.

"What's the use of planting seedlings if the government keeps farming out commercial logging contracts covering hundreds of thousands of hectares?", Kalikasan PNE National Coordinator Clemente Bautista said in reaction to the Arroyo administration's Greening Philippines program, which claims to plant a billion trees in 2007.

June 5, 2007

We are rallying before the 7th Asia-Pacific Mining Conference and the Asean Federation of Mining Associations (AFMA) because we wish to protect our country, as well as other struggling countries throughout the Asia Pacific region, from the environmental tsunami brought about by foreign mining giants.

We are not anti-mining. We believe that mining has a fundamental role in national industrialization, that it can be responsibly utilized for the people's welfare: to meet the needs of hospitals and schools, homes and industries. Mining has its rightful place in a society where governance and science and technology is for the people, and not for corporate interests. We believe that mining can be made sustainable if pursued at a much balanced scale in contrast to the present practices of all-out mineral extraction, waste generation, and plunder.

June 5, 2007

Protesters picket 7th Asia-Pacific Mining Conference in Makati, decry wholesale plunder of Philippine mineral reserves

A wide spectrum of sectors and organizations affiliated with Defend Patrimony alliance today protested against the wanton extraction and plunder of the Philippine's mineral reserves as it challenged industry players to uphold a mining policy that would benefit the people foremost.