Exactly 14 years today, environment and human rights issue made headlines as Marcopper-Placer Dome's drainage leaked million cubic meters of mine tailings into the rivers and ocean of Marinduque. March 24, 2006 the rivers of Makulapnit and Boac and in the western ocean of Marinduque were polluted with sulfuric tailings of the said mining company. Residents of the municipalities of Boac and Mogpog have complained of the rivers dying, dislocation of their houses, health problems associated with chemical pollution and loss of agri-fishery livelihoods.
The province of Marinduque used to be predominantly agricultural and fisheries in nature. People of Marinduque island rely on coconut, rice and corn farming for livelihood supplemented by fishing. Apart from the rich natural resources, Marinduque is also rich in mineral deposit in which copper is abundant. Placer Dome opened its first open pit copper mine, the Taipan Mine, in Marinduque. Placer Dome also held a 39.9% share in the Marcopper Mining Corporation.
Rita Natal, one of the affiants of the affected communities, said "We have been languishing in destitute as we were left with almost nothing 14 years after that unfateful disaster. Our lives have never and will never be the same since the damages left by the mine tailings will continue to carry on for as long as our case has not been resolved and proper measures undertaken."
"To show up our long and dreadful battle, some of my fellow affiants and villagers have already died of old age and otherwise fighting for this cause, I want justice served as long as we are still living, this has damaged not only the environment" Natal further said.
The case filed by 60 residents of Barangay Bocboc and Magapua in the municipality of Mogpog is handled by the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth-Philippines (LRC-KsK).
Atty. Marlon Manuel of the Alternative Law Groups (ALG), in which LRC-KsK is a member organization, said " we in ALG supports both legal actions and meta legal actions of the affected people in Marinduque. ALG extends in legal support, campaigns against irresponsible mining and policy engagements. Right now we are pushing for the passage of Alternative Mining Bill so as to further prevent similar disasters caused by preventable factors such as this" Atty. Manuel ended. ###
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