Katribu’s Longid said the indigenous people are the most vulnerable in terms of environmental violations. Mining displaces indigenous people from their ancestral land. She said indigenous people’s ancestral lands are rich and most mineralized land.

“We oppose these operations because we have no where to go. The government provides neither compensation nor relocation for displaced indigenous people so we are against it. The government’s response is militarization that results to vast human rights violations. ” Longid said.

Challenge

Kalikasan PNE challenged the presidentiables and the senatoriables not to repeat the bad record of Arroyo and reverse particular policies such as mining liberalization, energy privatization and water privatization. The group also called on candidates to oppose the “environmentally destructive, dangerous projects” like the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and construction of coal power plants.

Bautista also said that after June 30, his group would file a case against Arroyo for the sell-out of the country’s national patrimony and mineral resources. (Bulatlat.com)

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