16 November 2009
Hon. LITO ATIENZA
Secretary
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Quezon City, Philippines
Dear Hon Atienza,
We are participants gathered here in Rome, Italy, for the Peoples’ Food Sovereignty Now: Civil Society Organizations’ Forum Parallel to the World Summit on Food Security, being held November 14-17, 2009.
Mr. Jonjon Sarmiento, one of the delegates to this Forum, a young farmer from Mindoro, Philippines, started his hunger strike to protest the mining project to be operated by Intex Resources of Norway, in his hometown . We learned that this project will threaten the food security of the people of Mindoro, since the project will severely affect the critical watershed areas which provide irrigation to the ricefields and fruit farms in this island, which is a food basket of your Southern Luzon region.
We learned that your agency has issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) against the will of the people and the local authorities to be affected.
We support the hunger strike of Mr. Sarmiento as well as the hunger strike of 25 other farmers and indigenous peoples in front of your office.
We ask you to revoke the ECC to Intex Resources . We ask you to respect the rights of the indigenous peoples and protect the food security of the local people in Mindoro.
Respectfully yours,
SIGNATURE OF SUPPORTERS
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