Rapu-Rapu folk, green groups ask provincial gov’t, Gov. Salceda

Bicol folk and green groups outraged over the recent fish kills near the Lafayette mine site in Rapu-Rapu island, Albay united to press the Albay provincial government for an urgent probe involving the communities affected by the open-pit mining project by the Australian-owned firm. 

Thousands of Rapu-Rapu residents gathered today in a Kampong Bayan (People’s Camp) front of the Kapitolyo in Barangay Poblacion, Rapu-Rapu island, Albay to press for an urgent probe and food relief operations in light of the fish kills hitting five barangays in the island, according to Umalpas Ka-Bicol Spokesperson Arieto Radores.

As of this writing, the residents staged a rally and marched from Poblacion towards the pier area. Ninety percent (90) of Barangay Poblacion’s residents and representatives from all of Rapu-Rapu’s barangays participated in the protest, Radores said. Rapu-rapu is a 4th class municipality with 5,591 households in 34 barangays.

A dialogue is also scheduled today between provincial government officials in Legaspi City and concerned organizations including Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), Umalpas Ka–Bicol, Save Rapu-Rapu Alliance (SARA), Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa Inc. (SISK), Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC-Phils), Agham, Institute for Environmental Conservation and Research (INECAR) of Ateneo de Naga University, and Aquinas University.

“We challenge the provincial government of Albay to start an open and objective investigation on the Rapu-Rapu fishkills. The probe should be open to leaders and representatives of Rapu-Rapu communities affected by both the fish kill and mining operations by Lafayette as well as independent observers,” Kalikasan PNE National Coordinator Clemente Bautista said.

“Non-government organizations (NGOs) and environmental advocates from Bicol and at the national levels are supporting the clamor of Rapu-Rapu residents for immediate food relief, an independent and thorough investigation, and a moratorium on Lafayette’s mining operations in Rapu-Rapu for the duration of the probe,” Bautista said.

“We hope that this probe will embark on what Lafayette and the DENR has failed to do from Day One of the fish kills: conduct a thorough and scientific investigation into the causes of the fish kill and engage in a dialogue with the affected residents,” Bautista said.

The said organizations also presented to provincial government and Albay Governonr Joey Salceda a petition jointly drafted by Rapu-Rapu and Bicol-based organizations calling for the closure and pull-out of Lafayette’s mining operations and indemnification for the island’s affected communities.

Rapu-Rapu residents have consistently opposed Lafayette’s mining operations since 2005, noting the rise of fish kills, seafood poisoning

Bautista also rebutted Lafayette Spokesperson Bayani Agabin’s threats to sue those responsible for what Agabin called a fish kill “hoax”.

“It is Lafayette that’s trying to pull off a hoax by denying the existence of a fish kill in the villages affected by its mining operations. It is Lafayette that’s attempting to cloud the facts behind the fish kill which is now causing hunger and poisoning among the residents of Rapu-Rapu,” Bautista said.

“Lafayette Spokesperson Bayani Agabin was quoted in media as saying that there was no fish kill in the vicinity of their project and in other municipalities going to the Poblacion area. That is not an entirely accurate statement. According to the province-wide petition jointly issued by various Albay-based organizations Umalpas Ka-Bicol, Save Rapu-Rapu Alliance (SARA, Lambat-Bikol,), Aklas, Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa Inc., and the Sta. Florentina Parish, Rapu-Rapu fisherfolk first observed the fish kills in the waters off Barangay (village) Pagcolbon, Malobago, Sta. Barbara and Carogcog after heavy rains from October 26 to 27. Barangays Pagcolbon and Malobago are well within the area of Lafayette’s mining operations. The following day, the shores and waters off Barangay Poblacion started to stink because of the volume of dead fish that reached their area,” Bautista said.

“Contrary to what Mr. Agabin claims, Barangay Poblacion is not the sole nor the first site where the fish kills occurred,” Bautista said.