Akbayan tells SC: You lost chance to help determine safeness of 'Manila Bay Sands' project
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court’s denial of Akbayan’s motion is a missed opportunity to help the public determine the safeness of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ controversial Manila Bay Sands project, the group said.
Akbayan on Friday lamented the “hands-off approach” of the SC on their motion seeking to intervene in the 2008 landmark case on Manila Bay rehabilitation and cite in contempt the DENR over its project.
“It lost the opportunity to protect the rights of Filipinos to a balanced and healthful ecology,” Akbayan chair emeritus Etta Rosales said.
The SC has dismissed Akbayan’s motion, saying that the case has long been deemed final. It also said that pleading seeks to challenge the wisdom behind use of dolomite in the project, “which is a factual issue not ordinarily entertained by the Court.”
The controversial “beach nourishment” of Manila Bay, classified as “enhancement” project—was part of the government’s Manila Bay rehabilitation program launched in January 2019. The project involved filing the stretch of the bay’s shore with crushed dolomite—which environmental groups have raised may pose risk to the marine ecosystem but also in communities around the area.
It also said that the court has so far not found any violation to the writ of continuing mandamus it issued to DENR, as the agency has not been remiss in its reportorial duty to the Manila Bay Advisory Committee.
But Rosales said that the SC finding of no violation on DENR is “discouraging.”
She pointed out that the court only limited its findings on the department’s submission of reports on cleaning the waters and maintaining it, but did not cover assessment of dumping of fake sand as pollutive act.
“We now call on the original parties to the 2008 environmental protection case to add their voices and take action on this matter even as we study our next legal steps to best respond to this development,” she added.
Rosales said they continue to stand by the scientific evidence and expert opinions of University of the Philippines marine scientists and other environmental groups.
“The opinion of experts throughout the scientific community has repeatedly expressed the hazards, both in the short and long term, of the dolomite project,” she added.
“The public would do well to listen to their advice. Let us not entrust our environment and health to the likes of [DENR Undersecretary] Benny Antiporda,” Rosales added.
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