Miners briefly held by Philippine tribesmen

This is from the AFP.
It seems that the only way local people are able to benefit from these developments is through extortion. The demands of local people seem to be ignored.

Miners briefly held by Philippines tribesmen: police
7 hours ago
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP) — Two Canadian mining consultants were briefly abducted but freed unharmed by members of a tribe opposed to a major copper project in the southern Philippines, police said Thursday.
Deth Triesen, 23, and Andrei Argamomob, 45, surveyors for Swiss-based Xstrata Plc's local unit Sagittarius Mines Inc., were abducted with four Filipinos on Mindanao island, a police official said.
Armed tribesmen blocked the road and seized the six men near Kiblawan town on Tuesday, said regional police spokesman Chief Inspector Querubim Simeon Manalang.
The suspects seized the surveyors' equipment and demanded 10,000 pesos (about 230 dollars) in ransom, the police added. It was not known if the ransom was paid, but the six men walked free later Tuesday.
The kidnapped men were unharmed but their abductors took their money, Manalang said.
Police launched a manhunt for two B'laan tribal leaders, said by witnesses as being among the kidnappers.
The alleged abductors were earlier seen taking part in protests against the mining company, said Manalang, but he could not say if the incident was linked to the demonstrations.
It was the second attack against the Tampakan copper project this year. In January, communist guerrillas burned company equipment as part of extortion activities by Maoists.