Aquino failure on disasters, says priest

LUCENA CITY—A priest leading a campaign to stop logging in one of the country’s most threatened mountain ranges yesterday said President Aquino is a failure in terms of dealing with the devastating effects of global warming.

Fr. Pete Montallana, head of the Sierra Madre Network Alliance (SSMNA), said if dealing with climate disasters was a school subject, the President “miserably failed to pass.”

“The final exams in the environment subject is the CDO (Cagayan de Oro) experience,” said Montallana in a phone interview.

Montallana, Franciscan priest from the Prelature of Infanta, said Mr. Aquino “has only himself to blame because he has consistently refused to listen to environmentalists.”

Montallana offered a piece of advice to President Aquino: “Change your men.”

“May he be strong in the protection of the environment as he is in his position versus Corona, Palparan and the abusive and corrupt in the military,” said the outspoken priest.

SSMNA has renewed its call for Environment Secretary Ramon Paje to be removed over his alleged failure to stop corruption at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that the group said was the chief cause of continued logging despite a supposed log ban issued by the

President in February last year.

Montallana called on fellow environmentalists to close ranks to meet tougher environmental challenges in 2012.

“The more we network and solidify our ranks, the stronger we become. Let us share more data to present the true state of the environment beyond the praise releases of those who are being used by vested interest groups,” the priest said.

He said he was sad by the failure of many people to realize the urgency of protecting the environment. “The signs are clear,” he said. “All of us have to be environmentalists.”