Lawmakers accuse Palace of being indifferent to Subic Bay toxic dumping
MANILA, Philippines — The perceived lack of outrage from Malacañang over the reported dumping of toxic wastes in Philippine waters by a US Navy contractor has troubled militants, who backed Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s call for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement.
Malacañang has taken a hands-off stance in the ongoing investigations into allegations that US Navy contractor Glenn Defense Marine Philippines had polluted the country’s waters by dumping untreated wastes in it.
The Palace said it would wait for the results of the probe of the Senate and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority first.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan said the Aquino administration seemed to be disinterested on the matter.
“This dilly-dallying attitude on the part of the Philippine government is causing more damage to our environment and is telling of President Aquino’s gutless response to the US government’s wretched treatment of our country,” Ilagan said in a statement.
The lawmaker said Glenn Defense should have been ordered to clean up its mess immediately.
Fellow Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus also warned that the alleged Glenn Defense incident might not be the last, especially since the United States has been planning to increase its presence in the Asia Pacific region.
De Jesus also lamented that the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement has not taken on the task of looking into the incident.
“By relegating the investigation of the incident to the SBMA, Malacañang is sending a signal that it does not consider the destruction of Philippine waters as an atrocious crime of particular importance to the Philippines and its people,” she said.
Both Gabriela lawmakers cited the toxic waste dumping at Subic as another reason for the termination of the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, which they said has opened up the Philippines to exploitation and abuse by American forces.
Another militant lawmaker, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, warned that the VFA would turn the Philippines into a repository of the US’ toxic wastes.
He said the alleged dumping of toxic wastes was one of the “nightmare scenarios” possible under the VFA.
“That is why we vehemently opposed the pact and still pushing for its abrogation. While they are dumping toxic or nuclear wastes in our waters, they can say that they are not accountable to local authorities. This is the height of impunity,” he said.
Casiño expressed full support for Santiago’s latest call to terminate the VFA over this incident. He has pending resolutions seeking to terminate the agreement and another one opposing the return of US troops and military facilities in the country under the pretext of the VFA.
