WE, THE environmental advocates and organizations in the Philippines,
have come together to raise our deep concern for environmental protection,
in the light of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation
Address (SONA) this coming July 28, 2003.
We declare that Pres. Arroyo has failed to address, nor reverse,
the major environmental problems in the Philippines during her term.
The president's current environmental policies and directions will
open the country to further destruction that may result to loss of
lives, livelihood, shelter, land, water, forests and other vital natural
resources. Some of these are the following:
1. President Arroyo's active lobbying for the passage of the repressive
Anti-Terrorism Bill that would further imperil legitimate dissent
on our advocacy and the local communities we serve. Already, the Department
of National Defense has unjustly included the Center for Environmental
Concerns-Philippines (CEC) and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources
Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KSK)—two environmental policy
research institutions—in its lists of "support groups"
of the CPP-NPA-NDF. This is a clear move to drum up "anti-terrorist"
hysteria among the public and to discredit environmental groups who
are promoting people's welfare and environmental protection;
2. The government's National Mineral Policy will open new mining
areas depleting further the country's mineral resources. This is so
despite the disastrous effects of previous and present large-scale
mining such as the mine tailing spillage in Marinduque, Negros islands
and Cordillera Region. Only recently, the government took-over the
mining operation in Mt. Diwalwal, Davao del Norte as a preparation
for the wholesale of the gold-rich area to foreign mining corporations;
3. The decision of the Department of Agriculture (DA) last December
2002 to commercialize Bt-corn, a crop containing genetically modified
organism (GMO) could endanger the health and safety of farmers and
consumers. This was done despite massive protests (such as the hunger
strikes against GMO) about its potential harmful effects to human
and environment;
4. President Arroyo continuously disregard the hundreds of victims
of toxic contamination in communities near the former US bases in
Clark and Subic in Central Luzon, who direly seek indemnification,
compensation and rehabilitation;
5. President Arroyo's all-out support for the US led war on Iraq,
the US-RP Balikatan military exercises and the total war in Mindanao
have devastated the environment, displaced communities and subjugated
people to extreme poverty;
6. With her support, multinational and transnational corporations
(MNCs/TNCs) led environmentally destructive projects were continued
such as the San Roque Multipurpose Dam project in Benguet, Western
Mining Corporation mining project in South Cotabato and Coal-fired
Power Plant project in Misamis Oriental;
7. The implementation of the anti-people and defective Clean Air
Act of 1999 burdens both public transport workers and the riding public.
We have to unmask the Arroyo regime and her so-called "earth-friendly"
policies and projects. In the year 2002, we have seen her administration's
blatant disregard for the country's environment and natural resources.
We are holding Arroyo, MNCs/TNCs, and her imperialist patrons culpable
for all these anti-people and environmentally hazardous move. We will
continue to expose and oppose all her policies, programs and projects
that will negatively effect the environment and the people. The destruction
of environment and plunder of natural resources are direct results
of her promotion of imperialist globalization that protects the interests
of MNCs/TNCs through their instruments such as the International Monetary
Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization.
These destruction and oppression must now cease. We call on all to
junk her bid for another six-year term as the country's president
in 2004.
Gloria M. Arroyo is a hazard to the environment and people's health
and safety! Do not recycle Gloria for another term in 2004!
Kalikasan-People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE)
Bangon Kalikasan Movement
Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC)
Health and Environmental Alliance against Toxics (Heal Toxics)
Earth Island Institute-Philippines (EII-Phils.)
People's Task Force for Bases Clean-Up (PTFBC)
Pesticide Action Network-Philippines (PAN-Phil)
Samahang Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan (AGHAM)
Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE)
Taripnong-Association of Cagayan Valley Region Advocates
Unity of People against US Military Toxic and Hazardous Wastes! (Up
against Toxics!)
