Philippines: Environmentalists want clean-up vs corruption, call on Gloria Arroyo, Lito Atienza to resign now!

RELATED STORIES

YOU ARE HERE: Home » All Entries, Press Releases & Statements » Philippines: Environmentalists want clean-up vs corruption, call on Gloria Arroyo, Lito Atienza to resign now!

PUBLISHED ON February 15, 2008 AT 9:08 AM

A massive clean-up drive vs corruption in the Philippine government should start with the resignation of the Number One dirty politician President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her top honcho Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, an alliance of environmental activists said today.

“President Gloria Arroyo should step down from office before her administration does more damage to the people and the environment. The people cannot afford to have her as President until 2010 or beyond,” Ester Perez de Tagle, Spokesperson of the Environmental and Natural Resource Advocates for GMA’s Expulsion (ENRAGED), an alliance of environmentalists calling for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, today announced.

“The NBN-ZTE deal is just one among the many, many corruption scandals of the Arroyo administration which should be exposed. This corrupt administration continues to sell off our natural resources to foreign interests by opening up our industries through laws such as the Mining Act of 1995 or bilateral trade agreements, such as the Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA),” Perez de Tagle stressed.

Environmental advocates and organizations are joining today’s rally for the resignation of Gloria Arroyo and Lito Atienza, Clemente Bautista Jr. of Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) said.

“We environmentalists urge a clean-up drive against corruption, plunder and political repression. This should start with cleaning up the Palace and throwing out its Number One polluter, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, into the trash bin of history,” Bautista said.

“President Arroyo–in addition to her long record of corruption scandals, political repression, and electoral fraud–is the foremost proponent of current anti-environment and anti-people policies. As a senator, Arroyo was the principal author of the Mining Act of 1995 or Republic Act 7942, the current law which has authorized the sell-out of more than half a million hectares of Philippine lands to foreign mining firms,” Bautista said.

For environmental advocates, the NBN ZTE scandal also provided a study in contrasts of two different environment officials, DENR Secretary Lito Atienza and Philippine Forest Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jun Lozada. The NBN ZTE hearings proved who among the two officials has been the true champion of the environment and people’s welfare, Bautista said.

“Between the two, Lozada has proven himself to be the genuine environmentalist because he stood for the truth and the people’s interests in the end. In contrast, Secretary Atienza has proven himself to be the top honcho of filthy influence-peddling along with President Arroyo,” Bautista said.

ENRAGED! is an alliance representing thirty environmental organizations nationwide. It was formed in July 2005 in response to President Arroyo’s destructive environmental and economic policies and unresolved counts of massive electoral fraud in the 2004 national elections.

References:
Ester Perez de Tagle, Spokesperson, ENRAGED! Contact No. 0917-692-3496
Clemente Bautista, Jr. , National Coordinator, Kalikasan PNE Contact No. 0922-844-9787

IMPORTANT NOTICE: INBOX is an archive of press releases, statements, announcements, letters to the editors, and manifestos sent to PinoyPress for publication. Please email your materials to pinoypress @ gmail.com. PinoyPress is not responsible for the content of these materials. The opinion expessed in these items does not reflect those of PinoyPress and its staff. Please refer to our terms of use/disclaimer.

RSS feed • Subscribe via email • Discuss

THE NEWS IN PICTURES

Where Are They? Relatives, friends and colleagues of victims of enforced disappearances commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared with lighted lanterns and photographs at the Plaza Miranda and in Mendiola on Aug. 30. (Photo: arkibongbayan.org)

Free at Last. The so-called Tagaytay 5 -- Aris Sarmiento, Axel Pinpin, Riel Custodio, Michael Masayes and Rico Ybañez -- shown here inside their prison cell during their incarceration, were freed yesterday. “The dismissal of trumped-up charges and release of Tagaytay 5 is a victory for human rights,” said Ruth Cervantes, Karapatan's public information officer. (Photo: freetagaytay5.net)

Displaced. Residents of North Cotabato have been the ones badly affected by the military offensives launched against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. "As the government continues to indiscriminately drop bombs on Moro and Christian villages in Aleosan and Pikit, more and more civilians are displaced," said Kawagib, a Moro human-rights group.(Photo: Suara Bangsamoro/arkibongbayan.org)

In One Roof. Villagers who fled their homes after the clashes last week between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the south brought every human life with them, including their farm animals. They now live under one roof at an evacuation center in Pikit, North Cotabato. (Photo: Bong Sarmiento / Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project)

Emergency. A scene from "Ambulancia," a short film that tells of a painful twist in an ambulance driver's belief that a dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets. The award-winning film will be screened at the so-called "Woodstock of short films" in Germany. Richard Legaspi directed the film and it stars Alan Paule and Nor Domingo. (Contributed photo)

Sendoff. The Philippine Army dispatched today, Aug. 10, the 68th Infantry Battalion to Maguindanao. This battalion, together with the 46th Infantry Battalion from Samar, will augment the troops in Central Mindanao for the security operations that will be conducted to ensure peaceful elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao tomorrow. (Photo: Philippine Army)

Killings Denounced. Mindanao journalists gathered in General Santos City on Friday to denounce the recent attacks on their colleagues. On Monday, Dennis Cuesta, a Radio Mindanao Network commentator in General Santos, was shot and is fighting for his life. On Thursday, another RMN broadcaster, Martin Roxas of Capiz City, was shot dead. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

If This Wall Could Talk. With the pleasant scenery as a backdrop (and a constant reminder, perhaps, of a life they could have had), this poor family try to survive by actually living by the sidewalk outside the Chinese school in Davao City. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Undaunted. Activists from Anakbayan scuffle with the police as the Chevrolet Suburban carrying President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo passes by the junction before the newly built Bankerohan bridge in Davao City last week. The president was in the city for the declaration of the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi parties. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Freedom Denied. Lex Adonis, a former broadcaster of Bombo Radyo in Davao City, inside the Davao Penal Colony, where he was jailed after House Speaker Prospero Nograles sued him for libel over a story involving the Davao congressman's alleged sexual relations with a woman other than his wife. Despite a court order, Adonis remains in jail. (File photo by davaotoday.com)

Tribute to Ka Bel. Activists, artists, friends and supporters troop to the Philippine Independent Church on Taft Avenue Monday night to honor AnakPawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, who died last week. Beltran will be buried in Bulacan today, after a ceremony honoring him at the House of Representatives, where he served for several terms as party-list congressman. (Photo by Ayi Muallam/pinoypress.net)

Rare Sight. Moro women students of a madrasah play volleyball during a break in barangay Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, last week. While Filipina Moros are considered relatively open in their lifestyle compared to Muslim women in other countries, scenes like this are not very common in Moro areas in Mindanao. (Photo by Keith Bacongco/AKP Images)

Ka Bel's Fight. An activist mourns the death of AnakPawis Rep. Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran, who died Tuesday. Ka Bel's remains lie in state at the IFI Cathedral in Manila. His colleagues, family and friends have lined up a series of tributes. Click here for the schedules, as well as statements and poems honoring Ka Bel. (Photo by courtesy of arkibongbayan)

Displaced. Lumad families from Compostela and Monkayo towns, in Compostela Valley Province, seek refuge in Davao City after being displaced by intense counter-insurgency operations by the military in their communities this month. The 210 evacuees, of which 83 are children, are now staying inside a gym. The number of evacuees is expected to rise, according to NGOs. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan)

Philippines: Environmentalists want clean-up vs corruption, call on Gloria Arroyo, Lito Atienza to resign now!

Leave a Comment