TVI welcomes all opportunities for the truth to be told. But what would be the view of the Government of the Philippines to a Canadian investigation?
TVI is proud of our accomplishments at Canatuan, where we are working hard to bring benefits and best practices to economic development for the
strife-torn Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao. We have operated completely in accordance with the diligent regulation of the Philippines authorities. We are already bringing hundreds of visitors to Canatuan to see the reality for
themselves – and they are impressed. But we have been the victim of scurrilous allegations and accusations, coming from illegal small-scale
mining interests and their indigenous spokesmen, as well as the internationally-financed anti-mining lobby. Accordingly we as TVI welcome
any bonafide investigation of our project and its impact. It will find the same thing that all other investigations have found: that TVI is cleared and innocent of the false allegations levelled against it.In its report to the Canadian Parliament, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development makes two points abundantly clear (see the Report, appended below):
1. In the specific case of TVI, the Subcommittee is clearly saying that it does not know the real facts, but because the allegations are “serious” it feels there should be an investigation. The Subcommittee states that they heard testimony raising “serious concerns” about the company’s Canatuan project; but it equally heard testimony from indigenous people “challenging these views”.
TVI’s response is “Bring it on!” We are already conducting tours and site visits for all stakeholders and interested parties, so people can see for themselves the reality of our social programs and environmental management.
People are finishing the visits, not only impressed, but reacting against all the negative propaganda that has been previously proliferated. We would welcome any additional opportunity to be cleared, once and for all, of the untrue, defamatory accusations made against us.? However, we do not concur with one of the implications of the Subcommittee report, that the
Philippines is a country where “regulations governing the mining sector and its impact on the economic and social wellbeing of employees and local residents, as well as on the environment, are weak or non-existent, or where
they are not enforced”.
Unfortunately, some of the testimony against TVI was held in camera; therefore the witnesses are unaccountable, and it is not known what was
said. This testimony was made by individuals who have a long history of making untrue allegations against the project, that have been proved to be
untrue, and who have, in our view, a vested interest in doing so, based on the small-scale mining past. In addition, the anti-mining NGO, DCMI, has claimed on a web site that part of the questioning by the Subcommittee was based on documents it presented. It is well known in the Philippines how scurrilously false are the allegations of DCMI.
2. The primary purpose of the report is to urge a strengthened Canadian commitment to environmentally and socially responsible conduct on the part of all our companies abroad. TVI concurs with this objective, absolutely.
Despite the unconscionable actions and accusations of small-scale mining interests and the anti-mining lobby, the company is implementing the highest standards of corporate social responsibility in all our projects in the
Philippines and China. Please refer to all the reports and material on this Canatuan Project web site and the main company web site at
www.tvipacific.com.