AROUND 20 members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Mindanao Region (BAYAN-SMR) and Panalipdan staged a protest rally at the Freedom Park, along Roxas Avenue on Feb. 20, strongly urging concerned authorities to hold APEX Mining Company responsible for the massive landslide in Masara, Maco.
Rauf Sissay, Bayan-SMR secretariat member, cited the need for a thorough investigation of the incident and the declaration of a climate emergency.
“Para mahatagan ang mga biktima og husto ug sakto nga hustisya dapat adunay paspas ug bug-os nga imbestigasyon sa nahitabo sa Masara para mapunting ang mga violations sa Apex Mining sa pagguba niini sa kinaiyahan, tulubagon sa APEX Mining ang nahitabong landslide ug mahatagan kini og silot sa batay sa imbestigasyon (There must be an extensive and speedy investigation to give justice to the victims and pinpoint the violations of APEX Mining in destroying the environment and its liabilities in the landslide),” Sissay said.
He added the incident should be a wake-up call for the government to find sustainable solutions rather than mount relief or rescue operations after each disaster.
This is the first of the series of protests that the group will conduct, which includes a picket at the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue a ban on all mining activities in the region.
He also slammed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau XI for “inappropriate” statements clearing the mining firm of responsibility and accountability for the landslide.
