The Alyansa Tigil Mina Blog

http://www.malaya.com.ph/jul27/envi1.htm
BY JOJO DE GUZMAN

KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya – The possibility of mercury contamination of the Didipio River will be investigated by the place of Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Gov. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma said Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes has agreed to look into illegal small-scale mining in Barangay Didipio and determine whether the activities has harmed communities particulary those who might have been directly exposed to mercury-contaminated water. (more…)

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/topstories/topstories/view_article.php?article_id=11878
By Nonoy Espina
INQ7.net
07/26/2006

GREENPEACE Southeast Asia (GP-SEA) protested what it described as the illegal apprehension, detention, and harassment by police of an employee of the environmentalist group that was collecting water samples from a creek near the controversial Lafayette mine site in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay province, on Tuesday.

GP-SEA campaigns director Von Hernandez said David Andrade, who works with the group’s campaigns department, was at Rapu-Rapu to “validate recent reports of a fish kill which occurred in the area last week, and which Lafayette claims to be a case of sabotage.” (more…)

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=11940
By Bobby Labalan
Inquirer
07/27/2006

SORSOGON CITY — A BISHOP WHO HEADED an investigation of two mine spills in Rapu-Rapu refused to testify on the findings of his team, saying the pieces of information he had on mining on the island were all “second hand.”

Judge Raul de Leon of the Regional Trial Court Branch 52 issued a subpoena to Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, who headed the now-defunct commission, to help the court in deciding on the motion for a temporary restraining order filed by lawyer Gil Gojol. (more…)

Paul Garvey -
http://www.miningnews.net/StoryView.asp?StoryID=62613
Wednesday, 26 July 2006

SHARES in Philippine-focused gold developer Red 5 have soared more than 60% this morning, following a record intercept from the company’s Siana deposit that has thrown open the possibility of an underground extension to the project.

The company this morning announced an intercept of 144m of mineralisation grading 5.8 grams per tonne gold and 10.4gpt silver from 398m depth in hole SMDD105, the northernmost hole drilled at that depth at Siana to date. (more…)

Catholic News
http://www.cathnews.com/news/607/141.php
26th July 2006

Lafayette, an Australian gold mining company which has been accused by a Filipino Catholic priest of attempting to pay off local government officials, is at the centre of new allegations over a pesticide spill and fish kill near the mine.

Communities from Rapu-Rapu island has filed a petition with the regional court for a permanent injunction to stop the operations of Lafayette Philippines amid allegations of another pesticide spill in Albay Bay, ENS reports. (more…)

Environmental News Service (ENS)
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2006/2006-07-24-04.asp
July 24, 2006

MAKATI, Philippines - Communities from Rapu-Rapu island today filed a petition with the regional court for a permanent injunction to stop the operations of Lafayette Philippines, Inc., an Australian mining firm, amid allegations of a pesticide spill and fish kill in Albay Bay.

The spill occurred over the weekend during test runs of polymetallic mining operations on Rapu-Rapu, located in Albay province in the Bicol region, 350 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila. (more…)

Inquirer
25th July 2006 -
http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=11618

THE FEDERATION of Philippine Industries (FPI) has expressed alarm that any injunction order stopping the 30-day test run of the mining operations of Lafayette Philippines Inc. on Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay province could derail the entry of more foreign mining investments into the country.

FPI president Jesus Arranza said the government’s target of raising 122 million dollars in mining investments by yearend had been imperiled by the injunction case filed against Lafayette and Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes before the Makati City regional trial court. (more…)

By Christian V. Esguerra, Inquirer -
http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/metroregions/view_article.php?article_id=11806
26th July 2006

THE PHILIPPINES’ male religious congregations have agreed to engage in a “critical collaboration” with the Arroyo administration, if only to address the “real state of the nation,” particularly the problem of poverty.

In the eyes of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), the real state of the nation can be gleaned in the poverty, corruption, killings, environmental destruction, and selfish political interests plaguing the country. (more…)

JULY 25, 2006
CCNMatthews -
http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?actionfiltered=showRelease&searchText=false&showText=all&actionFor=605004

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - Mindoro Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:MIO)(FWB:OLM) today reported encouraging results from a further three holes at the Kay Tanda epithermal gold-silver prospect, located in the Archangel Project, the Philippines. Holes KT-14 assayed 32 meters of 0.52 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and KT-16 assayed 34 meters of 0.66 g/t gold. This extends the mineralization 50 meters beyond its previously known limits. An economic cut-off of 0.3 g/t gold is used for near-surface, oxide mineralization. Mindoro is continuing to receive encouraging gold-silver results from an ongoing reverse circulation drilling program, with thick intersections of low-grade, near-surface oxide mineralization. Previous results were reported in releases dated May 3, May 23, June 16 and July 4, 2006. (more…)