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Actor Boyet de Leon ignores plea against large-scale mining operations in Batangas

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Actor Boyet de Leon ignores plea against large-scale mining operations in Batangas


By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com
Environmental groups in Batangas are crying foul against dramatic actor and Batangas Provincial Board member Christopher de Leon ’s alleged support for mining operations in the region.

Saying that the recent tragedy of Typhoon ‘Sendong’ remains fresh in the minds of many, the Bukluran Para sa Inang Kalikasan (BUKAL) is appalled over how the local government has already approved and endorsed the operations of destructive large-scale mining in the province.

Bukal officials said they received a letter from the office of Governor Vilma Santos-Recto inviting its members to a meeting to discuss mining in Batangas. Earlier on, the group came upon a report released by CrazyHorse Limited, a Canadian Mining firm venturing in Gold-Exploration Project in Taysan, claiming that the firm has already secured the endorsement and approval from the Provincial Board. The endorsement, the company said, was settled May 11, 2011 through the passage of Provincial Board Resolution no. 253.

It was only on January 24 this year, however, that Bukal formally acquired copy of the resolution. The group was particularly dismayed to discover that despite the many dialogues it held with different institutions, churches, schools and communities and alongside officials of the local government, the controversial resolution was still passed.

De Leon, who stands as the head of the Provincial Environment Committee, is now seen as the main proponent of the resolution allowing large-scale mining in Batangas.

“We are disappointed with de Leon’s hypocritical stand toward protecting the environment. During a Church-Leaders Forum Dialogue in March 3, 2011 where he was represented by his Chief-of-Staff, de Leon all but made a commitment to include Bukal’s call for a mining moratorium in the draft of the Provincial Environment Code. A month before this, we had also raised our concerns against large-scale mining in Batangas to de Leon himself, said the group’s lead convenor Fr. Oliver Castor.

Castor said it is now crucial that the people of Batangas know that the actor turned politician is the official primarily responsible for allowing large-scale mining operations in Batangas. He and all the other members of the provincial board unanimously supported the said resolution and betrayed their constituents by ignoring the clamor to save Batangas from environmental destruction,” he said.

Aside from De Leon, Bukal also named board members Carlos Bolilia and Rowena Sombrano-Africa as traitors to the public interest..... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/01/26/actor-boyet-de-leon-ignores-plea-against-large-scale-mining-operations-in-batangas/

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