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Bishop Bastes Heads Fact-Finding
Commission on Mining
14 March 2006— A fact-finding commission has been formed by the government to look into the allegations of health and environment hazards brought by Lafayette mining spills in Rapu-rapu Island, Albay.
The team is headed by Bishop Arturo M. Bastes with Bp. Jose Rojas, Charles Avila, Dr. Rodolfo Tamavo, Atty. Ronaldo R. Gutierrez and other environment experts as members.
The government granted the commission the power of an "investigating body" including the authority to summon witnesses, issue compulsory processes to produce documents and others and take evidence relevant to the investigation.
President Arroyo instructed the fact-finding team to "investigate the effects of the said mining operations on the inhabitants and environment of Rapu-rapu and adjacent towns.
The fact-finding mission will commence on March 10, 2006 and end on April 9, 2006.
A member of the probe team said that their first official act is to ask the Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes to uphold the suspension order on Lafayette's operations while fact-finding work is going on.
According to reports, Lafayette, an Australian mining firm, is expecting to resume operations in Rapu-rapu, about 350 km southeast of Manila, next month.
The Philippine government suspended the operations at the mine in January following two toxic spills, which occurred October 11, and October 31, 2005 that resulted in a series of fishkills and toxic-metal contamination.
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