Robredo, Cebu gov and others sued over reclamation project

MANILA, Philippines—An environmental group and fishermen from Cebu have lodged a criminal complaint against Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and several local officials over a reclamation project in the municipality of Cordova.

The complainants alleged that the project was illegal and did not have the approval of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), and that the officials refused to stop or investigate the project.

They also said the project would destroy marine resources in the coastal municipality, in violation of several laws, and worsen the effects of climate change.

The complaint was filed in the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas by the Philippine Earth Justice Center (PEJC) represented by Gloria Ramos and Mary Joan Dulhao, and fisherfolk and  non-government organization members Cirilo Pagobo, Edie Quijano, Alejandro Baguio, Victor Lapaz, Owen Migraso, and Gerlie Migraso, Vince Cinches and Owen Migraso.

Aside from Robredo and Garcia, also named respondents were Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy; Vice Mayor Rodrigo Jumaoas; DILG Regional Director Ananias Villacorta; Environmental Management Bureau Director Fernando Quililan; and EMB officer in charge William Cunado.

According to the complainants, the officials violated the disaster risk reduction and management act, the local government code, the anti-red tape act, the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and authorities, and committed abuse of authority, illegal expenditures, grave misconduct and gross dereliction of duty.

They said PRA General Manager Anthony Abaya informed them that neither the Cordova municipality nor Cebu province had complied with the requirements for PRA to evaluate and process the application for reclamation.

The PRA is responsible for integrating, directing, and coordinating all reclamation projects for and in behalf of the national government.

The PRA provided the information upon the request of PEJC, which asked for the data shortly after hearing about the 20-hectare reclamation project in December last year.

Last month, PEJC also sent a letter to Garcia and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale asking them to stop the reclamation project because of Cebu’s vulnerability to climate change and the absence of PRA approval.

It opposed the project in light of the strategic importance of the diverse ecosystems in Cordova to ecological integrity, food security, ecotourism, and shipping. It also asked for copies of pertinent documents related to the project.

The complainants also wrote Sitoy and Jumaoas to reiterate their call to stop the project, while they asked Robredo and Villacorta to investigate the reclamation activities as well as Garcia.

According to them, Magpale and Sitoy released several documents, but Garcia failed to release any.

Villacorta also refused to investigate the reclamation activities and Garcia, they added. They also presumed that Robredo’s silence on the matter meant he agreed with Villacorta’s actions.

“By implementing the project, and by DILG’s inaction and the DENR’s highly questionable issuance of ECC (environmental compliance certificate), amid the continuing disasters that we face, the respondent public officials are not serious in addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation and the implementation of our laws,” they said.

They lamented the officials’ lack of transparency in allegedly failing to disclose the scope and extent of the project, and to release copies of the environmental impact assessment, and the plans and agreements submitted by the proponent.

They alleged as well that the project was inconsistent with the Integrated Coastal Resource Management Plant of Cordova, and that the officials failed to integrate concerns about human rights, climate change, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction in the undertaking.

The officials also supposedly failed to implement, and may have even violated, environmental protection and anti-pollution laws, with the DILG failing to do its part to supervise the local governments as well, the complainants further said.

They also decried the “E-Gwen” signages, which they said was contrary to the policy against the use of the names and faces of officials in publicly-funded projects.