Philex dam workers blocked from work, files criminal case

March 31, 2018 Headlines

LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET – Three groups of workers at the Tailings Storage Facility No. 3 (TSF3) of the Philex Mining Corporation filed criminal charges after a group of outsiders prevented them from reporting for duty and working at the project site in Padcal Mine Camp, Itogon, Benguet.
Complaints for grave coercion were filed by the workers belonging to Philex Mining Corporation, San R Construction, and GA Flores Construction before the Provincial Prosecutors Office here on March 23, 2018.
In their sworn complaint-affidavits, the said workers alleged that they were on their way to work at the TSF3 project site on March 22, Thursday, when they were prevented by a group of outsiders from reporting for duty with threats and harassment.
According to the workers, the group of outsiders blocked off the access road to the dam site and threatened them from proceeding to their respective work areas.
The alleged leader of the outsiders, identified as a certain Erich Pitelan, was reported to be wearing a bullet-proof vest, which made the blocked workers afraid that violence might erupt.
The disrupted workers were not aware of why the group of outsiders was there, only that they were prevented from working to earn their day’s pay to provide for the needs of their respective families who are dependent on them.
Reports from the project site indicate that the outsiders’ group were blocking access to the TSF3 to force the mining company to give in to their demands for more money.
As of press time, the group of outsiders were still present at the TSF3. PR / ABN