The governor has said the assessment in Tampakan would be conducted from the air due to security concerns on the ground. Late last month, three workers of a contractor for Sagittarius Mines were killed when armed men ambushed their convoy in Barangay Danlag in Tampakan town, one of the villages straddled by the
firm’s copper-gold project.
Tolosa said an inquiry on banlas mining in the province may possibly be conducted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on environmental protection if somebody brings out the matter.
The aerial survey was made possible after banana firm Sumifru Philippines Corp., which operates in T’boli town, offered its small plane for the purpose, the vice governor said.
Banlas mining was first uncovered in T’boli town and has invaded Tampakan a few years ago despite the crackdown ordered by the provincial government.
Tolosa blamed the death of three illegal mine workers in Tampakan town early this month to banlas, noting that miners would pour water to loosen the soil, thus a high possibility of landslides when heavy rainfall occurs.
Critics had earlier criticized Sagittarius Mines for failing to keep illegal mining activities away from its tenement.
Sagittarius Mines is controlled by Xstrata Copper, the world’s fourth largest copper producer, with Australian firm Indophil Resources NL as minority equity partner. Philippine conglomerate San Miguel Corp.[]
owns a stake at Indophil.
The Tampakan copper-gold project represents the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in Southeast Asia. If developed, the mine could be the largest in the Philippines and among the largest copper mines in the world.[]
