Manila rejects plea to stop private armies

A broad range of Canadian-based Filipino groups have joined the global chorus of  condemnation against Manila for allowing mining firms to hire private armies to protect their interests.
Citing the possibility of human rights violations in local communities opposed against mining in their ancestral lands, the Vancouver-based Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights has written a letter to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III urging him to withdraw approvals for the creation of private militias for mining companies operating in the Philippines.
According to Filipino human rights organizations, six anti-mining advocates have been killed this year in the Philippines, and 33 environmental activists have been killed since 2001. None of the 33 cases of killings have been resolved to date. The most recent victim gunned down last October 17 was  Fr. Fausto Tentorio,  an Italian missionary who advocated for indigenous people in Mindanao as they faced violations of their rights by mining companies.
“The militias are intended to protect mining companies from armed insurgents, but there is little doubt that militias will also turn against civilians, including indigenous peoples and those individuals and organizations working through legal means to ensure that their
human rights and the local environment are respected,” wrote Glenys Verhulst,
founding member of the Victoria-Philippines Solidarity Group.
The letter was sent on behalf of on behalf of the Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR), Victoria-Philippines Solidarity Group (VPSG), Kathara Canada, Iran Solidarity-Vancouver, Migrante B.C., Migrante B.C. Youth, Mining Justice Alliance , National Front of People’s Resistance of Honduras, Vancouver, BC, No One is Illegal, Solidarity Notes Labour Choir, Vancouver, BC and  Jim Edmondson, Past President, Vancouver-Kensington, NDP.
They have asked Canadians to sign their petition at http://www.pnoylovesminingmilitias.org/.
The Canadian letter follows a similar call by Amnesty International (AI) which cited the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) report that such militias, including the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGUs), have been responsible for arbitrary detention, torture, and killing of local community leaders.
The group said the use of such militias at remote mining areas has put indigenous people at risk, according to the United Nations (UN) special rapporteur on indigenous issues.
“The military cannot ensure proper discipline and accountability for the militias and paramilitary groups, creating an environment conducive to human rights violations,” AI said in a statement
But despite the international pleas, President Aquino and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have rejected the calls, not to use government militias or the Special Cafgu Active Auxiliaries (SCAAs) to augment private security forces in mining companies. Cafgu stands for Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit.
Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos,  military public affairs chief, told reporters that the President has approved a military proposal to use private armies in securing mining sites following the attack of three mineral extraction firms in Claver town, Surigao del Norte by members of the Communist New People’s Army recently.  The move “would enhance security in the area and would prevent a similar incident to happen.”
He said it will not lead to human rights violations as claimed by Amnesty, according to reports in Manila.
Communist rebels have been fighting the government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia. It entered negotiations with the government in 1987.
Burgos emphasized human rights protection is part of the government militiaman training.
He added the deployment of government militias is the result of consultations and dialogues between mining firms and the military.
“We have more than 40 SCAA companies…. These will enhance security in the area,” Burgos said, adding that locals are recruited as government militia because they have extensive knowledge of their areas of operation compared with other military personnel.
“As far as AFP is concerned, human rights violations have never been tolerated in our ranks. We have given emphasis in protection and promotion of human rights in all aspects of our security operations embodied in Internal Peace and Security Plan – Bayanihan,” he said.
Burgos said that should there be any human rights violations, it would be acted upon immediately, as the AFP is always open in case if they see (any human rights violations) involving personnel.
The military has assigned one non-commissioned officer for every 10 Cafgu personnel to ensure that these militiamen will abide to the military’s “principles” of human rights, Burgos said.
He added that if any militia or military personnel was involve in any human rights violations these should be reported to the AFP.
Two weeks ago, The Filipino Post reported that Canadian mining giant, Ivanhoe, abandoned its project on Tablas Island after local opposition against its proposal.
Ivanhoe’s departure sends a signal to the Canadian mining industry that Philippines may not be the best place to do business, said a Vancouver-based analyst.
“The company has spent millions on this project but in the long run if you do not get local support, this may have been the best thing to do,” he told the Filipino Post.
Philippines has vast amounts of gold, nickel, copper and other valuable minerals. The government estimates the Philippines has 83 billion tonnes of mineral ore deposits.
The country’s estimated gold ore reserves of four billion tonnes is the world’s third largest, its 7.9 billion tonnes of copper the fourth largest and the 815 million tonnes of nickel ore the fifth biggest in the world, it says.It said the country’s mineral reserves are estimated to be worth about $800 billion, and the industry could raise about $2.2 billion annually, enough to wipe out the country’s fiscal deficit.
This has attracted many Canadian companies to the Philippines who hold dozens of permits. They include  Altai Resources Inc, Canada Resources Corporation, Crazy Horse Resources Inc, MBMI Resources Inc, Metallum Resources Inc, Mindoro Resources Ltd, Panoro Minerals Ltd, Philex Gold Inc, Philippine Metals Inc, Rugby Mining Ltd, and Tiger International Resources Ltd, and 6 Toronto Stock Exchange mining companies with 28 properties in the Philippines, namely, CGA Mining Ltd, Crew Gold Corporation, Medusa Mining Ltd, Oceana Gold Corporation, Olympus Pacific Minerals Inc, TVI Pacific Inc.
Mining opponents have been highly critical of Canadian investment in the Philippine mining sector saying it aids in alleged human rights violations.