http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics04_july22_2006
Unidentified people poured what appeared to be pesticide into a creek near Lafayette’s Rapu-Rapu project last Wednesday then sent out text messages saying that the project had a spill that has killed marine life.
“This is sabotage to scare people and is no different from the mercury hoax antimining and leftist groups carried out early this year,” Lafayette spokesman lawyer Julito Sarmiento said yesterday.
Sarmiento said Lafayette, strictly monitored by Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials, is using only water and nonmineralized ore at this stage in the test run. “No chemicals, whatsoever. We think the same groups who mounted the mercury hoax are behind this.”
In the mercury hoax, now being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation, unidentified people brought a cut-up fish to a government laboratory for analysis.
When the results showed mercury content, the media was told Sorsogon’s coastal waters had been contaminated with mercury by Lafayette.
Lafayette never uses mercury, he said. Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay province, where Lafayette operates, does not have any mercury problem, according to Sarmiento. Unfortunately, when the media lapped up the hoax, 5,000 Sorsogon fishermen virtually overnight could not sell their catch, making them even poorer, he said.
In the apparent pesticide hoax, residents said the creek smelled of Thiodan. Some shellfish had been found dead, plus a big squid on the beach, which is unusual since squids are not found on beaches being deep-sea creatures, Sarmiento said.
