Not a sign of sensitivity to workers

It comes as no surprise that GMA would be quick to react with the creation of Task Force Diwalwal to the recent incident at the mining site. The loss of lives is scandalous in that it is telling of just how lowly the companies that operate the mines in the area regard their workers' lives.

So far, 11 have died, 11 are in critical condition at hospitals and 13 others are still missing. With the immense number of casualties involved, the Alliance of Progressive Labor suspects an entire list of violations of occupational health and safety standards. But we do not look at GMA's actions as purely out of goodwill and concern for the victims.

Mining is one of the prime industries that this administration is promoting to infuse much needed dollars into its foreign exchange coffers. Allowing foreign companies to extract and utilize Philippine natural resources is one of the driving motivations behind the obssession of GMA, de Venecia and Ramos to push for charter change so they can do away with national patrimony provisions in the Constitution.

The cost to human lives of the Diwalwal incident is only testament to the fact that mining is a
destructive and unsustainable enterprise with the costs far outweighing the benefits. More so in the hand of foreign capitalists, we are left with no assurance that the welfare of workers and communities will be attended to.

We challenge GMA to prove that she is interested in serving justice to the victims and their families by finding out exactly who were responsible for the Diwalwal incident and have them charged before the courts. We dare this administration to go after big mining companies and punish them for infractions on a whole list of environmental laws. We dare GMA to come
up with sustainable livelihood programs to dissuade small-scale miners from the unregulated trade instead. We dare GMA to revamp and reform the DENR instead of politicizing it with a secretary that serves no more than as a mouthpiece for her instead of truly enforcing environmental regulations.

If GMA is truly interested in protecting the interests of thousands of minig industry workers, then she should see to it that the law is enforced, and she should desist from pimping our resources away from the purview of national interests in favor of profiteering big corporations.