Youth, lawyers warn gov’t of lawsuit to enforce road sharing

Saying enough talk about climate change and environmental destruction, a group of young people backed by environmental lawyers served notice to the Philippine government to take concrete actions.

Among the things they want the government to do is to  transform the road and transportation system from the present car-based system to one that is fairer and more people-friendly.

Using a little known law on people’s initiative, young Filipino leaders, backed by their lawyers, will file petitions to directly propose their local governments to pass an ordinance for the sharing of the road space.

According to Celito Arlegue, the Executive Director of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), only two percent of the citizens in the Philippines have vehicles, and 98 percent of the Filipinos do not own cars.

In terms of road use however, “Those who own cars are the only ones who monopolize all the roads,” he  said.

Internationaly renowned environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa said Executive Order 774 section 9 signed on December 26, 2008 acknowledges “those who have less in wheels must have more in road.”

EO 774 also mandates the Department of Interior and Local Government   to “coordinate with local government units and guide them on the plan to transform the locomotion and transportation system to favor parties who have no motorized vehicles.”

“Ang karsada baya, wala buhata para sa mga sakyanan, gibuhat na para sa tao,” Oposa said.

(Roads we should remember have been made not for vehicles, but for the people.)

The team of youth leaders and their lawyers have  sent out yesterday a Nationwide Notice to Sue to the Philippine Government addressed to the Climate Change Commission (CCC).

The CCC is chaired by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. It is the sole policy-making body of the government tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change.

Since its creation by the Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729), the CCC has failed to pass any policy to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

“Today, the youth of the Philippines, backed by their international supporters, have launched a peaceful revolution. A revolution of the mind waged with only the sword of reason, the firepower of the law, and the violence of an idea whose time has come,” said Oposa, co-convener of the Global Call for Legal Action that convened in held in the School of the SEA (Sea and Earth Advocates) in Bantayan Island in norther Cebu from April 20 to 22.

Lawyer Siegfrid Fortun, a participant of the eventsaid: ”Enough of the talk, of the story telling, and let us work now! Enough of the promises, we need to act especially on climate change and environmental destruction.)

global action

Aside from Oposa and Fortun, Cebuano  environmental lawyers are supporting the action. They are lawyers Gloria Ramos, who writes a column for Cebu Daily News, Gen Tabada, Beryl Desabelle, Rica de Guzman, they are supported by international environmental lawyers Brook Meakins, Durwood Zaelke, John Boyd of the US, Selyna Pereis of Sri Lanka, Stephen Leonard of Australia, among others.

“We congratulate the Filipino people for once again showing the world the way of a peaceful revolution. This time, they are leading a revolution of the mind,” said Durwood Zaelke, Founder of the Center for International Environmental Law and Director of the International Network for Environmental Enforcement.

“Involvement of the youth is of critical importance to addressing these issues for the purpose of ensuring our environmental treasures are protected for future generations,” says Australian lawyer Steve Leonard, an expert on climate change impacts on world heritage sites. /Christine Emily L. Pantaleon , Correspondent

In the coming months, youth from around the world will call on governments, corporations, and international institutions to protect the climate in the name of present and future generations.

Brook Meakins, representing the International Climate Legal Action Team, said, “This may seem like a small pebble that was tossed into a pond. But the ripples that it will create will start a wonderful wave of change that the young of the world can learn from and perhaps, emulate.”