Slow progress being made on the actual drilling......Japex maybe trying to ensure
Their are dozens/even hundreds of news wire reports and stories on this drill programme next to GGX's lease.....just offshore from Cebu Island. Issue is with destruction of fishing grounds etc.
Yet calling it here that all these concerns are probably unfounded, because of the use of extended reach drilling technology.....example from another location follows:
"""Using extended reach drilling (ERD), which allows the project to reduce its offshore operations by using remote reservoirs from a central area, in most cases onshore, Exxon has brought down costs, and safety and environmental concerns.
High capital and operating costs associated with building, installing and maintaining large offshore structures have been reduced and sensitive inshore areas and marine communities, essential to Russia's economy, protected due to this record-breaking project.""""
Saturday, November 24, 2007 2 members of fisher group say they got death threats
TWO officials of the Fisher-folk Development Center (Fidec) Inc. said they have received death threats but that won’t stop them from protesting against the oil and gas drillings conducted by the Japan Exploration Ltd. (Japex) at the Tañon Strait, which is a protected area.
Vince Cinches and Victor Lapaz said the threat urged them to stop their protest.
Cinches said the threat against him was pasted on the Fidec door at its office in Cebu City.
“Ka Vins, kahibalo mi kon asa imong ruta. Mas maayong mohilum mo batok sa Japex. Nagsamok-samok lang mo. Isang bala ka lang!” (We know you’re daily route. Keep silent on Japex. We can easily get rid of you),” read the letter to Cinches.
Lapaz, who is also the chairman of the Panaghiusa sa Gagmayng Mangingisda sa Sugbo, said his wife Dory, who is also with Fidec, received a text message at 9:13 p.m. last Nov. 21.
“We know you. It’s better that you surrender and stop the protest if you don’t want something will happen to you,” read the text message in Cebuano.
Not intimidated
Cinches received the threats before his meeting with fisherfolk in Talisay City the other day.
Before that, he also received a text message from a former organizer of a nongovernment organization in the fishery sector, who is now employed with Japex.
She asked for the names of the fishermen and their family members who signed affidavits detailing how they suffered since Japex started its seismic and exploration activities at the strait.
Cinches said that instead of being intimidated, Fidec is now preparing the affidavits of fisherfolk so they could immediately file a petition for injunction against oil exploration before the Supreme Court.
Lapaz also said that the threats came after some fisherfolk in Pinamungajan, Cebu reported to them that some people warned them not to get government assistance and not to support Fidec.
Cinches, for his part, has urged police assigned with Task Force Ipil-Ipil to respect the rights of the fishermen guaranteed by the Constitution by just maintaining peace and order and not taking sides.
Cinches said they’ve observed that the task force was sent to Pinamungajan after they announced that they may use rubber boats in holding mass actions against Japex at the strait. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here.
(November 24, 2007 issue) Write letter to the editor.Click here.
(20min delay)
