PRESS RELEASE November 7, 2007 While Aussie mining firm gets away with plunder Hunger, seafood poisoning hits Rapu-Rapu folk after fish kills Residents of Rapu-Rapu island in Albay are calling for immediate relief and compensation after recent fish kills suspected to be caused by an Australian mining firm hit the island last week, causing a food supply shortage and poisoning incidents in the fishing-dependent villages of the area, organizations united under the banner of Defend Patrimony alliance today said. Frances Quimpo, Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines and a convenor of Defend Patrimony, today exhorted concerned citizens and Bicolanos to give urgent food support to the people of Rapu-Rapu following the fish kill last week near the open-pit mine site of Lafayette Mining Limited. Dead fish were found floating in the waterways of five barangays (villages) in the island, including two mining-affected barangays of Malobago and Pagcolbon. "Hunger is gripping the conservatively estimated 10,000 people in the island of Rapu-Rapu, who are still reeling from the impacts of the 2005 fishkills attributed to Lafayette Philippines' mining operations and the Typhoon Reming in 2006. The municipal council in Poblacion has warned the populace against eating fish or any other seafood caught in the area," Quimpo said in statement. "The council recently has ordered the distribution of 48 sacks of rice to the people, but this will last only for so long," she added. Quimpo expressed alarm at the rising incidence of poisoning-related illnesses hitting the island since last week. Reports from Mr. Antonio Casitas of Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa (SISK), a community organization based in Rapu-Rapu and advocating for the pull-out of Lafayette Mining in the island, said that Lito Mori, 28 years old and Carlo Balmaceda ,15 years old, from the mining-affected Malobago village in Rapu-Rapu were hospitalized yesterday after eating fish caught in their area. Casitas said that last October 31, Peping Baluncio, a resident of Purok 5, Poblacion, Rapu-rapu was also rushed to the hospital after experiencing stomach pains and recurrent vomiting after eating fish in the area. Also on October 31, three children from the Balben family were brought to the hospital for repeated vomiting after eating shellfish. This brings to a total of 6 persons poisoned after the fish kill incident on October 28, Casitas said. "We are calling for immediate relief to our hapless friends in Rapu-Rapu, who remain struggling for survival amid impacts of mining and continuous denial of truth, peace and justice. The people are in dire need of food support as they try to find alternative means of livelihood and address the cause of their aggravated situation," Quimpo continued. Local leaders from Rapu-Rapu meanwhile scored Lafayette's top honchos for getting away with plunder and enriching itself at the cost of resident's livelihood and health. "In stark contrast to the hunger and illnesses hitting innocent Rapu-Rapu folk, Lafayette Mining continues to pay its two Executive Directors David Baker and Jeffrey Qurermaine annual salaries of Aus$$1,418, 893.00 while enjoying atrocious tax concessions and exemptions from the Philippine government," Engr. Jun Perdigon of the Save Rapu-Rapu Alliance (SARA) said. "While the poor people of Rapu-Rapu are literally going hungry, Lafayette's executives are basking in the profits of their ill-gotten wealth. While ordinary Rapu-Rapu folk are striving to protect their lands and seas for future generations, Lafayette continues to plunder the island's rich mineral reserves and destroy the bountiful natural marine wealth from which the people get their livelihoods," said Casitas. ### References: Mr. Antonio Casitas, Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa, Rapu-Rapu (SISK) and Engr. Jun Perdigon, Save Rapu-Rapu Alliance (SARA) through Ms. Frances Quimpo, Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC-Phils) - 0917-884-6325 -- DEFEND PATRIMONY! is a broad alliance comprised of organizations and individuals united in the defense of Filipino people's rights and national patrimony againt the wholesale plunder of our mineral and other natural resources. Our unity is based on the principles of goodwill and solidarity, cooperation and consensus, and independence and initiative.