Green groups alarmed over Aquino’s lack of clear pro-environment stance in his SONA

After the first state of the nation address (SONA) of President Aquino and only a month since he sworn into office, environmental groups are apprehensive over indications that the current administration may not be environmental at all.

The groups, headed by Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), has noted some of Aquino’s pronouncements and moves that demonstrate President Aquino’s leanings toward the same anti-environment policies of the previous Arroyo administration.

“It is still early to say that President Aquino is anti-environment like his predecessor. However, based on what Mr. Aquino is doing and saying so far, prospects are not good for the communities and groups that have long clamored for fundamental change in terms of the national policies and programs that have caused much harm to our environment,” said Clemente Bautista of Kalikasan PNE.

The groups enumerated the ‘signs’ of Aquino’s poor environmental platform and actions.

“Until now, looking at his electoral platform, inaugural speech and his state of the nation address (SONA), Mr. Aquino still has no clear environmental agenda and position on major issues such as mining, climate change, garbage and others,” said Bautista.

One such issue is large-scale mining. In his platform regarding the national economy, Noynoy has expressed to target and attract more investments in industries such as mining, opposite to what environmentalists and communities are calling for.

“Despite the growing mining opposition and the long standing call of different sectors to abolish the Mining Act of 1995, Mr. Aquino has been vocal on how he will encourage foreign mining investments and promote socially responsible mining in the country,” Bautista pointed out.

Mining liberalization has been one of the priority economic policies of the previous Arroyo administration. Mrs. Arroyo has aggressively promoted large-scale commercial mining through its mining revitalization program to entice the entry and operation of foreign corporations in the country. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has identified 63 priority mining projects most of which are foreign owned.

As a result, communities affected by mining have recorded countless of grievances against the policy such as the displacement of indigenous peoples, upland settlers, and communities dependent on the ecosystems of the concession area; adverse environmental consequences; depletion of mineral resources; impacts on community health; and violations of civil and human rights such as killings and militarization.

“This pronouncement of Mr. Aquino is consistent with his action in appointing Ramon Paje as Secretary of DENR, one of the mining honchos of the Arroyo administration in promoting and implementing mining liberalization in the country,” said Mr. Bautista

Ramon Paje has acted as Executive Director of Minerals Development Council (MDC) and headed the facilitation of the selling and privatization of mineral facilities and lands in the country, one of which is the gold-rich Mt. Diwalwal area in Campostela Valley, Davao del Norte.

“Mr. Aquino has also pronounced reviving the Laiban Dam project and other private schemes as answers to the current water crisis. Mr. Aquino is also said to be considering the building of nuclear power plants, though he has openly said no to the revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power plant, as answer to the energy crisis,” said Bautista.

According to the groups, the Laiban dam project has been an issue for 30 years already and is not the solution to the current water crisis. The current water crisis is not new and has been answered by several administrations already through privatization schemes but until now majority of the Filipinos still has no access to clean and affordable water.

The groups blame the framework of the government, which is geared towards the privatization of water, as a gross failure. They attribute the current water crisis to the inefficiency, mismanagement and privatization of our natural resources.

“Nuclear power is a false solution to the energy crisis. The Philippines is rich with renewable sources of energy that is less than the cost and risk of nuclear power. In addition to the environmental risks nuclear plants pose, it will further make the country more dependent on foreign investors and technologies, ” said Mr. Bautista.

If Mr. Aquino is really sincere in treading the righteous path (daaang matuwid) then he would give in to the demands of the people including a healthful environment and national policies that uphold the rights of communities to our national patrimony the groups said.

“The first order of business is to reverse and scrap the neoliberal government policies and unequal international treaties which have led to more wanton extraction, sell-out, privatization and plunder of our natural resources and environment such as the Mining Act of 1995, Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) among others,” said Clemente Bautista.

Bautista furthered that as long as these policies are in place and Aquino’s environmental framework is still geared towards the liberalization and privatization of our natural resources then he is most probably anti-people and anti-environment however projects to be otherwise.

“The first State of the Nation Address and the past days have been be very revealing of Aquino’s true colors. However, If he presents an effective environmental platform and if he gives in to the demands of the people in the coming days then our country’s environment may have hope after all. However, if he continues his lackluster performance and avoidance of fundamental issues then we can all conclude that Mr. Aquino is just an extension of the previous administration and must be denounced by the people whom he claims to be his ‘boss’,” ended Bautista.