As part of its undertaking in upholding the rule of law on environmental protection and preservation, the Supreme Court simultaneously held a forum on environmental justice on April 16 to 17 in Baguio City, Iloilo City and Davao City.
The Supreme Court’s guide to the forum states: “The fragile state of the global environment requires the Judiciary, as the guardian of the Rule of Law, to boldly and fearlessly, implement and enforce applicable international and national laws, which, in the field of environment and sustainable development will assist in alleviating poverty and sustaining an enduring civilization, and ensuring that the present generation will enjoy and improve the quality of life of all peoples, while also ensuring that the inherent rights and interests of succeeding generations are not compromised.”
For environmental rights group Panalipdan – Southern Mindanao, the occasion is a timely opportunity to bring to the attention of the Supreme Court the most glaring issues of environmental injustice in Davao region.
“Let it be known that we are one with the aims of the judiciary in advancing and promoting the defense of our environment and the people’s environmental rights,” Francis Morales, spokesperson of Panalipdan – SMR said.
After a successful forum tagged as the People’s Forum on Environmental justice that the group held last April 14 at the Holy Cross of Davao College parallel to the SC-led activity, Panalipdan – SMR will be forwarding a ‘People’s Environmental Agenda’ to the ‘green court’.
“The People’s Environmental Agenda contains the core issues that affect the lives and environmental rights of the people of Davao as well as those in other parts of Mindanao. These contain our heeds and demands for justice amidst the deterioration of our environment, the plunder of our resources wrought by the influx of corporate hydropower projects, mono-crop plantations and aerial spraying, large-scale foreign mining and other profit-oriented projects facilitated by the current system in the government of accommodation to foreign capital investment at the expense of our people and national patrimony,” Morales said.
Panalipdan spcifically tackles and opposes the following destructive corporate projects in the region: the looming takeover of large scale foreign mines in Mt. Diwalwal; the large scale mining operations in Pantukan and Lupon Davao Oriental which directly threatens the Sumlog River Watershed and other major rivers; the Pujad Nickel Bay Project in Macambol, Davao Oriental; Hedcor’s hydropower project that threatens the Tamugan-Panigan Watershed and undermines the Davao City Waterhsed Code; aerial spraying by mono-crop plantations as cause of poison in our rivers and our people; corporate real estate development by Crown Asia and Consunji-owned DMCI in Maa Shrine Hills.
Panalipdan – SMR will also lobby for an impartial and speedy investigation on the March 9, 2009 killing of Eliezer Boy Billanes, anti-mining activist from Socsargends Agenda; the December 23, 2008 killing of Fernando Sarmiento, anti-mining activist from Panalipdan-New Bataan; the April 30, 2008 killing g of Datu Soming Diarog, a land rights defender from Sito Kahusayan, Brgy. Manuel Guianga; and the case of harassment, intimidation and grave threats against Panalipdan – Davao Oriental leaders Sr. Stella Matutina, osb; Wenceslao Mapa, Boy Sentinales and barangay official Fe Matibo.
The People’s Environmental Agenda was drafted and agreed by more than 30 environmental and cause-oriented groups from all over Southern Mindanao which are also members of Panalipdan’s network. It was also signed a number of Davao City residents who support the agenda.
Panalipdan – SMR staged a cultural protest at the Ateneo De Davao University where the SC-led forum is being held to drumbeat these issues and as part of its build-up for the group’s upcoming International Earth Day mobilization on April 22 in Davao City and Davao Oriental simultaneously.
REFERENCE:
Franis Morales
Convener, Panalipdan-SMR
0928-2841005
