Gina Lopez reveals mining corp cut down century old trees 2 days after her rejection

Former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Wednesday ranted on her Facebook page about how just two days after she was removed from her position, a mining company cut down century-old trees without permits from the government.


The company who allegedly did this was Ipilan Nickel Corp. which Lopez revealed to be under the Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc.



Lopez deemed the act that happened in Brooke's Point as akin to a "massacre", as the company cut down "thousands of century old trees affecting 3 thousand hectares of agriculture land, 30 thousand people, 5 barangays - they BARRED THE MAYOR from entering."

Lopez said the act was "disgusting".

"So you cut century old trees to mine - then what kind of rehabilitation will you do - with another hundred years? DISGUSTING!!!! And it is here that the Mayor wanted to put up an eco park because of all the trees - and because one can DRINK the water from the river. I went there myself. IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! "

She said Brooke's point has 11 percent growth and is absent of any mining.

" Bataraza has two mining companies and below 0% growth. El Nido has 49% growth. So when Dominguez says mining is good for the economy, THE NUMBERS DONT SHOW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's why I tell Sec. Dominguez - who says we can have extractive industries and environmentalism at the same time - NOT THIS KIND OF EXTRACTIVE!!!!!!!" she said.



She said the rules are not being followed, as the mining groups cut trees without regard to people affected.

The trees sustain the area's water shed.

The former Environment Secretary urged interested investors to "go away and stay away".

Lopez was recently dismissed from her position in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as the Commission on Appointments voted against her after she allegedly violated mining laws in suspending 23 mining firms from operating in the country.

SOURCE: Gina Lopez

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