Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) has condemned the killing of Al Cuartero, a barangay captain and anti-mining advocate in Carmen, Surigao del Sur.
Cuartero and Ronde Arpilleda Asis were shot dead on September 22 by an unidentified assailant.
Cuartero, barangay captain of Barangay Puyat, opposed mining activities in the area, particularly the operations of Tribu Manobo Mining Corporation. He recently testified in court, exposing the falsified exploration permit of the company.
“We are enraged that another environmental and human rights defender has been felled and now joins the ranks of hundreds of activists killed in the country,” said Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of ATM.
ATM urged authorities to “conduct a serious investigation on the murder of the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice,” and called on the Department of Local Government (DILG) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate.
The killing follows a report by Global Witness, stating that the Philippines remains the “most dangerous country” in Asia for environmental defenders, with the highest number of advocate killings in the region from 2012 to 2023.
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