The Catholic Church in the Philippines has called on new President Benigno Aquino III to scrap a law that allows foreign investors to fully own local mining ventures. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in letter signed by Bishop Nerio Odchimar and released on Friday, said natural resources should be used for Filipinos, AlertNet reports.
Aquino, who took office on June 30, has supported the Mining Act, saying foreign investment was essential to develop local industry, create jobs and lift the economy’s growth rate.
“We are calling for the abrogation of the Mining Act of 1995 that do not adequately protect the interest of our people and the country’s natural resources,” Odchimar wrote.
“Furthermore, we call for a review of all anomalous and controversial mining contracts,” he said, asking Aquino to make public all existing mining contracts and applications.
The letter was released just over two weeks after the governor of South Cotabato, in her final days in office, banned open-pit mining in the province, putting at risk a $5.2 billion gold-copper prospect operated by Xstrata Plc.
The call by the bishops has been echoed by Philippines non-governmental organizations.
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