Philippine Church denounces environmental activist murders

Fr Edu Gariguez with tribal people

Catholic Church leaders in the Philippines have condemned a spate of killings targeting environmental activists in recent weeks, saying the government is not doing anything to prevent them or bring the killers to justice. "We must stop this impunity," says Fr Edwin Gariquez, executive secretary of the social action, justice and peace secretariat of the bishops' conference. "We strongly condemn these acts and we really want the government to resolve this as soon as possible," Fr Gariquez told ucanews.com.

He was speaking on 2 February following the shooting and death of an anti-mining activist in the town of Pantukan in Compostela Valley province on the southern island of Mindanao. Teresita Navacilla, 60, convener of the Save Pantukan Movement, a group of miners opposing large-scale mining corporations in Mindanao, died on 30 January, three days after the shooting. "We do not know who really is to blame," said Navacilla's daughter who asked not to be named for security reasons. "We are scared because the killers might target us next," she told ucanews.com.

Navacilla was the fourth person to be killed in southern Mindanao in January. Human rights group Karapatan has confirmed that Navacilla's murder was linked to her opposition to large-scale mining companies in the province. "The attack on Navacilla could happen to other organisations and individuals strongly against environmental plunder and destruction," Hanimay Suazo, Karapatan's secretary-general in the region, said.

In Palawan province in the central Philippines, Jean Marc Messina, a French national known for environmental activism, was found shot dead with his wife and son on 28 January. The environmental group Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment said that if Messina's death was related to his advocacy, he would be the fifth environmental activist murdered in Palawan since 2005.

During the recent International Eucharistic Congress in the Philippines, Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu told ucanews.com that to fight the killings of activists, "people of goodwill," including nongovernmental organisations should unite to address the issue of injustice. "I hope that somehow, we would have a listening ear and I think more sincere coordinated efforts should be made," he said.

A 2015 report by London-based Global Witness said almost a third of 25 environmental activist killings related to mining projects in 2014 happened in the Philippines. "This continues a pattern of Philippines defenders being targeted for their opposition to the country's mining industry -- a sector that operates with very little transparency and regularly fails to consult local communities," the report said.

In 2009 the Bishops of the Philippines called for a moratorium on new mining projects in their country, a review of existing mining projects, and a withdrawal of international investment in Philippine mining until proper procedures are in place to protect human rights and the environment.

For more information see: www.ucanews.com/search/mining