Land Defenders Are Killed in the Philippines for Protesting Canadian Mining. 1 October 2020.

...At least 272 environmental defenders were killed between 2001 and 2019, according to the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, a network of Philippine environmental organizations. More than half of them were protesting mines...A third of those killed were Indigenous...

A number of activists and experts say some of the extrajudicial killings and forced displacement are byproducts of Canadian mining in the Philippines. In most cases, the Canadian government offers little recourse for those harmed...The Mining Association of Canada did not respond to several VICE News’ requests for comment. Australian-Canadian company OceanaGold, owner of one of the largest gold-copper mines in the world out of the Philippines, said in a statement it is committed to responsible mining, which necessitates human rights and transparency, and follows or has spearheaded several responsible mining frameworks. “We do not have firsthand knowledge of what is happening at other mine sites across the Philippines,” said OceanaGold spokesperson Melissa Bowerman...In June 2019, the company’s 25-year licence expired. OceanaGold told VICE News it had permission from the Department of Natural Resources and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to continue operating legally during the waiting period...In response, the Didipio community, backed by the local government, set up a barricade the following month to block access into the mine...The barricade was broken this April, when the police violently dispersed 30 people who were peacefully blocking three tankers from entering the site...

Fifteen percent of mining in the Philippines is Canada-owned, with six Canadian companies operating in the country, the ministry said. Ryan Nearing, a spokesperson for Canada’s ministry of international trade, said, “We expect that (Canadian mining companies) uphold a high standard of responsible business conduct,” and pointed to an ombudsperson role established last year to ensure companies pursue “socially responsible business practices.”

...And yet, people who have been affected by Canadian mining sites say companies are failing to meet their own high standards. “Canadian mining companies are complicit in the violations of the rights of Indigenous peoples not only because there is no free, prior, and informed consent, but also in the violation of their rights to their land and way of life,” said Claver...