Officers of the Siocon Subano Association Inc. (SSAI), a private organization formed by the Subano indigenous people of Mt. Canatuan at Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte Province in Southern Philippines, recently filed libel complaints against Bishop Jose R. Manguiran of the Diocese of Dipolog City and nine other staff members of the DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI), an anti-mining NGO headed by the bishop.
SSAI co-hosted a press conference with TVI Resource Development Phils., Inc. (TVIRD) to address some issues raised by church-backed anti-mining groups based in the city in a Primer that had been circulated throughout the province.
The Primer, published by DCMI in the Visayan dialect, contains perceived numerous libelous allegations in an attempt to discredit TVIRD – SSAI’s partner in the development of the Canatuan — and the Company’s legal mining activity in the Subanon Ancestral Domain.
Present during the presscon were members of SSAI led by its president, Juanito Tumangkis and Atty. Pablo Bernardo, legal counsel and a Subano himself.
Atty. Bernardo disclosed that he, together with Tumangkis, had earlier filed separate libel cases against DCMI in connection with allegations printed in the Primer. Both men are imputed in the Primer as “IP Dealers” and that they “pocketed” TVIRD’s Royalty payments to the IP group.
“The imputation of being an IP Dealer against the undersigned is absolutely false, a brazen lie and fabrication. Very clearly, they were made with malice in order to embarrass, humiliate, discredit and cause dishonor to my person”, Atty. Bernardo stated in the complaint he filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Dipolog.
“Worse, they are direct and conclusive imputations of the devious crimes of “large scale” or “mass swindling”, malversation, and of “selling my people” without having even laid the basis of their conclusion”, he further added.
TVIRD Canatuan Project General Manager Yulo Perez took the opportunity to invite members of the Dipolog City media to visit the mine site to see for themselves the actual mining activities in the area.
“Our doors are open, we would be glad if you would come and visit,” Perez said, reiterating the company policy, in an effort to enlighten the misinformed individuals regarding the condition of the actual mining operations of the company.
TVIRD President Atty. Eugene T. Mateo appealed to the media, to DCMI and other anti-mining groups to be more responsible in their work and in disseminating press releases or in their pronouncements. “Just as we strive to be responsible miners, we are appealing for you to be responsible in your reports. Just as we are working transparently, we are requesting for your fairness and transparency in the issues against us or our host community.”