Palasyo tiwala sa DENR

TIWALA ang Malacañang na may kakayahan ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na ipagtanggol ang kontrobersiyal na P389-milyong Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project kapag umakyat sa Korte Suprema ang usapin.

 

“Kampante naman po kami na ang DENR ay alam nila ang katungkulan nila na proteksiyonan ang kalikasan at kaya nga po ipinatupad itong proyektong ito, it is for purposes of avoiding further soil erosion at makatutulong din po ito sa flood control,” ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque sa virtual Palace press briefing kahapon.

 

Inihayag ni dating Kabataan party-list Rep. at PH Infrawatch Convenor Terry Ridon, ang kawalan ng environmental compliance certificate (ECC) ng Manila Bay white sand project ay paglabag mismo ng DENR sa sariling mga patakaran hinggil sa ECC.

 

“By seeking an exemption from its own environment compliance regulations, DENR violated Presidential Decree No. 1586 (Environmental Impact Statement System Law) and DENR Administrative Order No. 2003-30, the agency’s own implementing rules and regulations governing environment compliance certificates,” ani Ridon.

 

Naniniwala si Ridon na dapat nang makialam ang Supreme Court Manila Bay Advisory Committee at ang mga paglabag ng DENR ay nagbigay daan sa prima facie case para maglabas ng Writ of Kalikasan ang Korte Suprema, kasama ang temporary environment protection na magpapatigil sa Manila Bay white sand project.

 

“Clearly, the SC should be informed that the DENR has not only violated its own rules, but also overstepped its mandate in Manila Bay, either based on SC’s continuing mandamus or President Rodrigo Duterte’s Manila Bay Task Force,” ani Ridon.

 

“Both bodies call for the cleanup, rehabilitation, restoration maintenance of the WATERS of Manila Bay to a level fit for swimming; and also to improve water quality through the reduction of coliform levels in all river systems and tributaries within Manila Bay. Both make no mention of a mandate to beautify a thin stretch of Manila Bay’s 190-kilometer coastline,” dagdag niya. (ROSE NOVENARIO)