Probe into violence at gold rush area urged

Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr has called on his colleagues in the Senate to investigate violent incidents in the Diwalwal gold rush area in southern Philippines' Monkayo-Compostela Valley, as police officials fear more hostilities after the government take-over of the disputed mining site.

In a Senate resolution he filed on Tuesday, Pimentel requested an on-site investigation of the violent dispersal of the August 10 miners' protest rally, and before this, the reported death of a total of 60 people in the conflict between big time mining concessionaires and small miners.

On Saturday, police, assisted by the army, rammed a blockade set up by the miners to protest the sabotage of one of their tunnels by suspected employees of a mining company owned by mayor Jose Brillantes of Monkayo town.

Big time mining concessionaires and small miners have been locked in a bitter struggle for control of mining areas in the gold rush site over the past 20 years, resulting in clashes that have killed a total of 60. Small miners include former soldiers who are known to be well armed.

The dispersal of some 2,500 protesting miners last Saturday came after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced that it is taking over a total of 8,829 hectares of active mining and mineral reservation areas in the wake of the violence.

"There is rising tension at the gold rush site following the reported violent incidents and protests staged by small-scale miners, prompting DENR Secretary, Heherson Alvarez, to order the stop in mining operations," Pimentel said.

Farmers in the areas downstream from the mining areas welcomed the government decision.

Residents and farmers close to the area had earlier complained about the mercury runoff from the small miners' ball mills that is damaging their crops and poisoning the tributaries' ecosystem.

Pimentel said Secretary Alvarez will be asked during the inquiry to explain the plan of DENR for the area to ensure the continued livelihood of small miners.