The leader of Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao Region was shot 5 times

Dec 29, 2008 10:52 GMT  ·  By
Devastation from coal mining - iron hydroxide precipitate (orange) in a Missouri stream receiving acid drainage from surface coal mining facilities
   Devastation from coal mining - iron hydroxide precipitate (orange) in a Missouri stream receiving acid drainage from surface coal mining facilities

Fernando “Dodong” Sarmiento, 39, was the Secretary General of Panalipdan-New Bataan, and a fierce critic of surface and open-pit mining, an opinion that led to his death, Francis Morales, the spokesman for Panalipdan-SMR, said in a statement. Over the course of 2008, Sarmiento was interrogated by elements of the Philippine army, in connection to his opposition to the measures set in place by the Arroyo regime. He died of 5 gunshot wounds, presumably fired by military personnel.

“We condemn in the strongest term the brutal killing of Dodong Sarmiento, who is known for leading the rural folks of New Bataan in calling for the stoppage of the operations of PhilCo Mining Corporation, the planned exploration of other mining corporations and mining-instigated militarization under the command of 10th Infantry Division, citing as reasons for their resistance on the destruction that large-scale mining operations brought on people’s livelihoods and local ecosystems,” Morales said.

“This is a typical mode of operation of the military in implementing the Oplan Bantay Laya 2 in the rural areas of Compostela Valley wherein activist leaders were maligned and demonized first before being killed,” he added.

“The environmental group believes that Sarmiento was killed by military elements due to his advocacies. Last 16 July 2008, Sarmiento was interrogated by the elements of 28th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army (IBPA) under Lt. Wendel Ariola for his active involvement in environmental campaigns and was accused as rebel supporter. Then on 22 July 2008, the military posted on its website falsely claiming that Sarmiento was a rebel surrenderer,” the spokesman shared.

Documentation supplied by the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment shows that some 24 environmental activists were thus far killed under the Arroyo regime. The Investment Defense Force (IDF), blamed for the cowardly act, was created “to protect vital infrastructures and projects from terrorists, including the New People's Army (NPA) and other rebel groups who stand in the way of development particularly in the rural areas,” said an official governmental communicate.