TVI, Subanon Community, Present Canatuan Partnership to Canadian Parliament
Patoh, James & Bernardo
at the Parliament of Canada
“TVI has proven to be more responsible – more Filipino – than other Filipino companies in protecting the interests of the Indigenous Peoples,” Council of Elders’ Attorney Pablo Bernardo told Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, on Wednesday. Added TVI President Cliff James, “We expect to spend approximately US$10 million (540 million Pesos) this year in ongoing operating activities, including local employment, capital investment and operating expenditures. We have plans for expansion which will substantially increase the amount we spend annually.”
Bgy Capt. Patoh and Atty Bernardo
arrive in Ottawa from the Philippines
TVI President Cliff James, accompanied by Corporate Advisor John Ridsdel, Subanon Legal Counsel Pablo Bernardo and Barangay Captain Bonifacio Patoh of Barangay Tabayo travelled to Ottawa on May 18 to provide Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) with a comprehensive review of the wide-ranging accomplishments of Canatuan, and especially the benefits it has brought to the Indigenous People of the community.
The Company and the Community were invited to present the Canatuan Project at a session of the Canadian Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development, following interventions that had been made to the Committee by NGO Mining Watch Canada, accompanied by individuals Onsino Mato, and Godefredo Gallos of Siocon. The Canadian Government sponsored the travel of Mr. Mato and Mr. Gallos to Ottawa after they had been toured in Canada by Mining Watch and other NGOs in November of last year, seeking the intervention of the Subcommittee. The Committee invited TVI to respond, and in turn, the Canadian Government sponsored the travel of Mr. Bernardo and Mr. Patoh to represent the community of Canatuan.
“These two gentlemen represent the legitimately elected representatives of the people of the community in which we work and are our partners in the Canatuan project,” Cliff James told the Subcommittee. He went on to review the invasion of small-scale mining at Canatuan, the eco-social destruction it had caused … and the unscrupulous campaign that small-scale mining has mounted over the years – and even into this hearing – to obstruct and prevent the Canatuan Project from becoming a reality.
Mr. Bernardo described the alliance that had developed among the small-scale mining interests, the Indigenous leadership it had co-opted, and the political anti-mining campaign of certain local and international NGOs “who used both (former leaders) as tools”.
He reviewed the free and prior informed consent given by the community to the project: “They want to eat good food, gainful employment and send their children to school. They want to be freed from the bondage of hunger, ignorance and isolation. They aspire to be of equal to their Christian Filipino brothers. They want to establish a tribal community of their own, complete with usual infrastructures. It is for that reason that they entered into a contract with TVI which is committed to do its mandated obligation, as in fact it has initiated, to develop the ancestral domain of the IP Subanons of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. Denying them of these basic necessities is simply violating their human rights. Jose Anoy and Onsino Mato, plus their NGO supporters, are moving towards such directions.”
Read Cliff James’ Opening Remarks
Read Cliff James’ full Submission to the Committee
Read Attorney Bernardo’s Presentation on behalf of the SSAI and Council of Elders
Read Barangay Captain Patoh’s Deposition
The Committee’s questions on Canatuan focussed primarily on the (untrue) reports of TVI evicting Subanons from their Ancestral Domain.
Read TVI’s Letter to Ambassador Sutherland,
View HTML | Download PDF
and see the Information Pack for the Company and Community News Statements and Fact Sheet on this issue).
The Committee also asked about allegations by a former employee of Echo Bay Minerals, that was the Operator of the King King Project in which TVI had a minority interest, that TVI had been aware of payments to terrorist organisations. Mr. James stated categorically that he was not aware that any such payments had ever been made ($1.2 million out of a $40,000 budget would have been tough to hide); and that an exhaustive review of documents provided to the Board, of which he a member, revealed no advice whatsoever that had ever been provided to TVI that such payments were being made.
The transcript of the session will be posted on the Subcommittee’s web site under the Meetings heading at http://www.parl.gc.ca/committee/CommitteeHome.aspx?Lang=1&PARLSES=381&JNT=0&SELID=e17_&COM=9098