albay sorsogon governors seek lafayette restart

Albay, Sorsogon governors seek Lafayette restart

First posted 08:20am (Mla time) June 08, 2006
Inquirer

THE GOVERNORS of Albay and Sorsogon issued a joint statement Wednesday calling on the government to allow the resumption of operations of the Lafayette polymetallic project in Rapu-Rapu Island after its remedial measures have passed all tests.

Governors Fernando Gonzalez of Albay and Raul Lee of Sorsogon said in the joint statement that the region’s biggest investor deserves no less since it had followed the rules and due process and met all conditions the government had imposed.

They said the company spent 400 million pesos for the required remedial measures, knowing that the rules would entitle it to a test run once it is ready.

Otherwise, they said the investors would think the rules are not being followed and their investments will not have the full protection of the law.

Lee said that Sorsogon must move on and has suffered enough from the fish scare that was started by anti-mining groups to stop the project.

The Rapu-Rapu fact-finding commission, accused by

Lee as biased against mining, recently recommended the closure of operations of Lafayette Philippines Inc. in Rapu-Rapu and the amendment of the Mining Act, but President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said mining will continue in the country.

The issue is no longer the spills at Lafayette but rather whether the new management is true to its word to fully comply with all the conditions and rules for its resumption of operations, the two governors said.

“That the company has been asking to be tested under the full monitoring of all parties, including those opposed to it, speaks of an unprecedented transparency we have never seen before. And to think that all it is asking for is for due process to be followed,” they said.

The joint statement was issued following expressions of support for the project by private entities and local government units, including the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council) of Rapu Rapu which asked that Lafayette be given a second chance to conduct responsible mining.

Gonzalez and Lee expressed confidence that Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes will uphold the rule of law and act fairly in his final decision.

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