Canadian mining firm accused of rights violations

An anti-mining group has accused the Canadian mining firm Toronto Ventures Inc. (TVI) of violating human rights when it allegedly sent security men to beat a couple and destroy the farms of Subanen tribesmen opposing the company’s operations in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

A TVI official denied the allegations.

The Alyansa Tigil Mina (Alliance to Stop Mining or ATM), a coalition of people’s organizations and non-government organizations clamoring for an end to large-scale mining, said in a statement that TVI security forces demolished the house of Manolita and Loloy Galvez on June 24.

ATM also said the couple was “beaten up†by TVI security forces, identified as members of the Special Citizen Armed Auxiliary (SCAA). It also accused TVI of destroying the farms of people living within the company’s concession area and threatening the farms of those who refuse to leave.

“We have taken note of different human rights violations of mining companies (against) communities and this is the latest of them. We condemn the way the indigenous peoples are being treated and the government’s apathetic stance on disgusting incidents like these,” said Jaybee Garganera, ATM national coordinator.

But Rocky Dimaculangan, TVI public affairs director, said ATM’s allegations were “blatant lies.”

He confirmed that the military has provided the company security personnel but said they were not involved in the demolition.

He said it was the Siocon Subanen Association, Inc., led by Timuay Erdulfo Comisas, which demolished the Galvez home inside the TVI concession area.

“It was the indigenous people themselves led by Comisas who took the initiative to dismantle the shanty after years of negotiation with the couple who demanded P1.5 million compensation from TVI and refused TVI’s offer of P215,000,” Dimaculangan told the Inquirer.

It was not clear why Comisas acted on behalf of TVI.

TVI holds a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement with the Philippine government and was given a mining concession of 508 hectares within the 6,523-hectare Subanen Ancestral Domain in Canatuan.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved.