MindaNews » Earth Day celeb marked with protest vs Tampakan project; protesters blocked.

By Bong S. Sarmiento
April 22, 2012

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/22 April) — Hundreds of protesters flocked to Tampakan, South Cotabato to mark Earth Day on Sunday morning only to be blocked before they could march in the rich copper-gold fields assigned to Sagittarius Mines, Inc., Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of  the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, said.

Lariba said their Solidarity Mission caravan was blocked in Barangay Pula Bato en route to the mines development site.

“This is plain harassment, we only want to peacefully air our support to the Lumads (indigenous peoples) who are against the Tampakan mining project,” he said in a telephone interview.

said some 500 individuals on board several vehicles from the religious, indigenous peoples and militant groups were bound for Bong Mal but two pick-up vehicles stood on their way.

He accused Sagittarius Mines and the 27th Infantry Battalion to be behind the blockade.

Bong Mal is the boundary between Tampakan town and Kiblawan, Davao del Sur that serves as a crucial artery in the mines development site.

John Arnaldo, Sagittarius Mines, corporate communications manager, said the company is are of  plans by some anti-mining groups to stage protest rallies and that it has “has always respected, and will continue to respect, the rights of communities to express their views and concerns through peaceful protest.”

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