Youth group to Duterte: Change environmental policies, not Constitution

A youth group on Saturday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to prioritize changing the government’s environmental policies rather than amending the Constitution.

In a statement, Youth for Rights said its members were concerned on the proponents of the proposed charter change on foreign ownership among businesses, which it said is hidden “in the guise” of federalism.

“The agenda to change the Constitution, together with development aggression, that favor businesses over people will surely bring about more danger to our environment, affecting the next generation,” the statement read.

According to the group, “green bills” like the Alternative Minerals Management Bill (AMMB) are still pending, while mining operations “continue to damage” the country’s natural resources and affect indigenous people.

“We demand the repeal of the Mining Act of 1995 and the enactment of AMMB and not CHA-CHA [charter change]!” the group stressed.

The youth group was apparently referring to the Alternative Minerals Management Act of 2016, or the Senate Bill No. 1069, that aims to regulate the exploration and use of mineral resources in the country.

Youth for Rights also encouraged other millennials to assert their environmental rights.

“We the young people still maintain our potential as one of the drivers of change in society,” the group added. /atm