MANILA, Philippines — A complaint against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was filed before the Ombudsman for the violation of the anti-red tape law.
Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) Research Policy, and Law Program Head Atty. Avril De Torres said that in July, they requested copies of documents before the environment department in relation to a petition filed by residents of Atimonan.
The said petition sought to cancel the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued to the coal-fired power plant (CFPP) project of Atimonan One Energy.
The environment department, however, replied to CEED’s request for copies of the documents nearly two months after the initial request was sent, saying that the documents needed should be specified.
CEED then sent another request and complied with the specificity requirements of the DENR last November 5 but their request has still yet to be granted as of November 12.
This, De Torres said, is a violation of the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 as amended by the Ease of Doing Business Act and Efficient Delivery of Government Services of 2018.
“Already, land is being cleared, roads are being constructed, and ecosystems are being disturbed in the proposed project site in Atimonan. With this, it is questionable as to whose interests the DENR is really protecting,” De Torres said.
“This appalling lack of urgency by which DENR responds to inquiries; the obscurity of processes needed to gain access to information regarding the environmental impacts of energy projects being developed – these make it apparent that it sure isn’t the public’s,” she added.
De Torres said that DENR is mandated to protect the interest of the public and the integrity of the ecosystem.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to DENR for a comment but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.