MindaNews » Journalists cry harassment in mining area; mining firm says story fabricated.

By Mindanews
February 22, 2012

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 February)  — A group of media from Pagadian City cried harassment by the Special Cafgu Active Auxiliary of  TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc.  in Sitio Balabag, Baragay Depore  in Bayog town, Zamboanga del Sur on Monday but the mining firm on Tuesday denounced in a statement what it called a “fabricated story and imagined scenarios.”

“It is unfortunate that these reporters used the good name of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in their unfounded stories,” TVIRD said in a statement released by Ron Jabal, Public Affairs Director.

TVIRD is the Philippine affiliate of TVI Pacific, Inc., a publicly listed Canadian frim focused on the exploration and production of precious and base metals The NUJP sent out two alerts Monday, about the alleged harassment in the mining area covered by the Balabag Project Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) between TVIRD  and the government.

It quoted Hirohito “Jong” Cadion, Frontline Mindanao Balita publisher and Philippine Star correspondent,  as saying he, “together with 11 journalists and two others” went to the sitio Sunday night “to verify reports of an impending demolition of houses owned by civilians, mostly small-scale miners” residing near TVIRD’s exploration site.

Read full article @ www.mindanews.com