Alleged bribery by British mine in Philippine
Research by the British charity CAFOD claims that some community leaders in Macambol, on the southern island of Mindanao, were bribed up to £12,000 – thirty-two times a typical annual salary - to approve the scheme.
Yet many locals oppose it, fearing an ecological, cultural and economic disaster.According to CAFOD, "The process... to secure approval for the project from Macambol's indigenous peoples, as required under Philippine law, was so seriously flawed that it cannot be considered valid."
The planned mine will cover an area 100 times bigger than Hyde Park, sandwiched between a marine nature reserve on one side and a mountain nature reserve on the other.
It is a joint venture AMCOR – a Filipino company said to have powerful government connections – and BHP Billiton, an Anglo-Australian giant which is the biggest mining company in the world.
The mine will use a new method of extracting the nickel using hot sulphuric acid. Campaigners fear the project could threaten endangered species in the forests which will be felled, and fish in nearby Pajuda Bay which help feed 65,000 local people.
According to Anna Ford, a CAFOD spokeswoman, the area is also home to an unusual Catholic sect called the Church of the Holy Stone, who tattoo their bodies with prayers and are summoned by dreams to pray in the forest.
The sect's "mother church" is at the centre of the proposed mine site.
"Mining operations will effect our sacred land. If we lose our natural resources we lose the memories and heritage of our ancestors," Narciso Salang, a tribal elder, told the researchers.
CAFOD was careful to accuse Filipino officials of paying bribes – not BHP Billition staff.
In a statement the multi-national, whose annual general meeting begins in London on Thursday, said, "BHP Billiton has a strict code of conduct governing all aspects of our business conduct, including relationship with joint venture partners. We take the allegations of bribery extremely seriously."
Nickel is used in stainless steel among many other applications. The price of the metal hit record highs in recent years but dropped 80 per cent in the last 18 months. Analysts say the price is certain to rebound when global manufacturing regains momentum.
You're right.. Self interests take precedence over ethics and morality..
sadly it is happening in philippines, probably many other countries as well. but if its with a good intent why do they have to bribe. this things have its pros and cons (mining) but the problem is that there are already a handful of mining tragedies back there that most of the people are really afraid for such to happen again. a lot are at stake so i just hope it will go for the best interest of the people and the environment as well.
it implies that the British are involved in the bribery when if fact it is BHP Billington which is an Australian company.
The British charity are exposing or alleging the bribery.
in say the African sense of the word but was controlled by the British. (If not Qatar would have become a province in Saudi). Corruption still happens in Qatar there are just larger sums of money in play....
As they say in the modern world today, you dont have foe or friends you only have Interest, which determines every thing nowadays..
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HE WHO DARES WINS
I totally agree. Japan was devastated after WW2 and yet they moved on to become one of the most developed nations...
I always advise my little brother "loosers only look for excuses".
Isn't it time we moved away from "b;aming" coloniolism ?
I totally agree with you regarding greed, corruption and nepotism in developing nations..
Once again, it comes back to justice, education and having checks and balances in place for officialdom..
One of the main reasons why poor nations suffer still was the colonials policies. Giving away land (that obviously did not belong to them) to corrupted locals to get support and steal the countries resources.
Wherever you go in the 3rd world you see talented people, rich resources (egypt, Africa, Asia...etc) but you see corrupted politicians and the common reason is that all these nations were colonized.
Look at Qatar...we were not colonized and thats why (thank god) we dont have that much corruption and resources are distributed a bit fairly.