13 July 2010

Green groups back CBCP's call to prosecute President Arroyo's environmental crimes

Progressive environmental groups have expressed high expectations now that other sectors, particularly the Catholic Church, are urging President Noynoy Aquino to form a body similar to the Truth Commission that will look into the long standing charges regarding the Arroyo administration's cases of environmental plunder and destruction.

"Environmental groups and other sectors have long demanded for Gloria Arroyo her cohorts be prosecuted for their environmental crimes. With the church sector reiterating this call, and with PNoy seemingly taking positive steps to address demands relating to justice, we are optimistic that our calls will be heard," said Frances Quimpo, Executive Director of environmental research and education group Center for Environmental Concerns-Phils.

The groups said in their statement that one of the first things that Mr. Aquino need to do is to prosecute those who are liable for carrying out projects and policies that resulted to the destruction and plunder of the country's natural resources.

"Mrs. Arroyo was the leading environmental offender, as her policies were geared towards the sell-out of our patrimony and her projects have caused widespread poverty in affected communities and destruction of vital ecosystems," stated Ms. Quimpo.

Among the top environmental crimes of Mrs. Arroyo that the groups cited are the liberalization of the mining industry, privatization of energy resources, massive deforestation for corporate production, lack of disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation program, peddling of agricultural lands for biofuel production, and political killings of environmental activists.

"Environmental groups have prepared a document listing the environmental crimes of Arroyo during her nine years in office. We will submit this document to the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and to other groups who are planning to file cases against Arroyo. We are also going to submit the this report to the judicial and other independent bodies as it might be of help by providing more information and strengthen the evidences against former President Gloria Arroyo," said Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan PNE.

Several particular offenses of Arroyo against the nation's patrimony, sovereignty and right to a healthful ecology, as included in the report are the following:

* In June 2009, the government leased 400,000 hectares of land in Northern Luzon, equivalent to the area of Abra province, to Pacific Bio-Fields Corp. of Japan and its local partner, Bio-Energy North Luzon Inc., for 25 years and renewable for another 25 at "very affordable'' charges. The lands should have been used to answer the landlessness problem that have plagued peasants and for food production but instead turned over to foreign firms to satisfy foreign demands said women peasant group

* Despite the establishment of various agencies supposedly to deal with climate adaptation and mitigation, self-proclaimed climate czar Gloria Arroyo still showed epic incompetence and negligence during the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng and the recent El Nino phenomenon.

* One of the flagship mining projects of Gloria Arroyo was the Rapu rapu polymetallic project of then owned by Australian company Lafayette. On October 11, 2005 a major mine spill happened, causing the contamination of several bodies of water in the area and widespread fish kills in Albay Gulf. In the succeeding years three (3) more fish kills and landslides happened, which the local people blamed on the operation of Lafayette. Despite the recommendation of the government formed Rapu-rapu Commission to shut down the operations and hold Lafayette accountable, the company was allowed to operate still until they went bankrupt.

* When Arroyo became president, she lifted log bans one by one and farmed out commercial logging permits. Between January 2001 and 2004 Timber Licsensing Agreements (TLAs) and Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) contracts were again issued. This allows IFMA contract holders not just the right to the timber but to all other forest products within the concession area. There were already 23 IFMAs covering a total area of 191,250.60 hectares when in 2003, it was increased to 201, covering around 714,000 hectares. At the same time, in 2007 there were 15 active timber licensing agreements (TLA) covering a total area of 691,000 hectares of forestland and an annual allowable cut of 307,558 cubic meters.

* Kalikasan PNE has documented 27 cases of extrajudicial killings (EJK), one (2) cases attempted murder, two (2) enforced disappearance and several lawsuits against environmental leaders and defenders nationwide as of March 2010, all until now have not been served justice.

"We are one with other groups who are upholding the rights of the Filipinos and who are seeking the justice our nation deserves. We are thus urging others to join this crusade and challenge the current administration to serve its mandate and fulfill its promise of bringing about the reforms our nation and environment desperately needs," ended Bautista.