The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Friday called on President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to protect and preserve the country’s natural resources by abrogating the Mining Act of 1995.
 
“We are calling for the abrogation of the Mining Act of 1995, [which does] not adequately protect the interest of our people and the country’s natural resources,” CBCP president Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar said in his letter to Aquino dated July 12, 2010.
 
The bishops during the time of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo asked the government to put a stop to large-scale mining not only because it permanently damages the delicate balance of the natural environment but it also makes the small farmers, fisher folks, and indigenous peoples suffer.
 
Aside from abrogating the Mining Act of 1995, the CBCP also urged the new President to revoke Executive Order 270-A, also known as the National Policy Agenda on Revitalizing Mining in the Philippines, which was decreed by Arroyo in 2004.
 
“It is within your capacity, Mr. President, to revoke this executive order to give a strong signal to our people that now you have the genuine good of the Filipinos at heart,” read the CBCP letter.
 
The bishops also called for the review of all anomalous and controversial mining contracts that the previous government has entered into with mining investors that the people and the non-government organizations failed to scrutinize in the past because they were kept from the public.
 
“We are expecting this new government to turn away from the policy of secrecy that characterized the previous administration. The best instruments we could use in safeguarding the interests of our nation are transparency and sincerity in heeding the voice of the people, who are the true beneficiaries and stakeholders of the country’s resources,” read the letter.
 
“The promotion of participatory governance guarantees check and balance on government decisions and policies. You have clearly declared that as public servants, you and your colleagues in the government are ultimately accountable to the people,” it further read.
 
The CBCP also asked the Chief Executive to spearhead the reform in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) by weeding the corrupt officials in its national and local agencies.
 
“We have many experiences of local governments refusing the entry of mining and even passing a moratorium on mining operations, but only end up not being recognized at the national level. Similarly, we also ask that an appropriate disciplinary measure be imposed upon local DENR officials who try to suppress the legitimate objections of the stakeholders by preventing their complaints from reaching the attention of the national office,” said the CBCP.
 
“We deeply appreciate your commitment towards accountability and transparency, the hallmarks of your government’s platform. We pray that the same level of commitment would reverberate to your office’s pursuit for environmental justice,” it added.
 
The letter was sent to the Office of President Aquino Friday.