MANILA, January 30, 2012— The Catholic bishops’ leadership called on the Aquino administration to review the government’s policy on mining and logging especially its impact on ecology.
Such move is crucial, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said, in order to prevent a repeat of environment-related tragedies that occurred over the past few weeks.
“We take the occasion to make an appeal particularly to the authorities concerned that our prayer and appeal is to make a serious revisit of many of our laws like our logging laws and practices as well as mining laws and development plans,” said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president.
“The events that happened in the previous months should lead us to be truly serious about our mining and logging laws and the like,” he added.
While the prelate acknowledged that certain natural disasters do happened, he said recent tragedies such as flooding and landslides were caused by negligence of humans.
“With many lamentable calamities, certainly there is the dimension of natural perspective... (but) very simple analysis show that there are human factors, which can be corrected with regards to mining, logging laws, especially with the implementation,” said Palma.
Last December, typhoon “Sendong” wrought havoc over Mindanao with its heavy rainfall resulting to massive flash floods and the death of 1,257 people and 85 others missing.
Earlier this month, some 25 people were also killed during a landslide that occurred in a mining site in Compostela Valley.
The CBCP had long been appealing on the government to repeal the Mining Act as well as for an end to illegal logging in the country. [CBCPNews]
