Envi group declares Santiago ‘greenest,’ Roxas ‘meanest’

SENATOR Miriam Defensor-Santiago was declared “greenest” presidential candidate by an environmental group for having a good track record and stand on environmental issues, except mining.

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“Sen. Miriam Santiago is the breakaway ‘greenest’ candidate, followed by Sen. Grace Poe and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Administration bet Mar Roxas, meanwhile, is by far the ‘meanest’,” Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), said in a statement.

Kalikasan PNE is one of the convenors of the Green Vote 2016 campaign, which assessed each of the five presidential candidates on the following issues: mining, climate change and disaster risk reduction, coal power, genetically modified organisms (GMO), violence against environmentalists, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) and the shipment of trash from Canada.

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The groups came out with a “report card” that says whether a candidate passed or failed on each of the seven issues. However, they said they are not endorsing any of the candidates.

Gil Catalan of the University of the Philippines’ environmental group Saribuhay said Santiago not only “rallied” her fellow senators against the unconstitutionality of Edca but she also pushed for regulating GMOs and addressing the impact of climate change. Santiago also helped investigate the killings of environmentalists.

Poe was cited for advocating the shift to renewable energy while the group said Duterte was the only candidate “with a track record of opposing large-scale mining operations through his prohibition of mining in Davao City.” However, they said the tough-talking mayor’s “rhetoric on large-scale mining is mixed.”

Vice President Jejomar Binay “passed” on only one issue – climate change – and was marked “failed” for the other six topics.

Former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas, who was endorsed by his partymate President Benigno Aquino III, was given failing marks on all issues.

“Mar Roxas demonstrated a negative record on of pursuing environmentally-destructive policies and programs of the Aquino administration,” Bautista said.

“Illegal small scale mining operations such as the numerous black sand mining projects proliferated during his term as DILG secretary. He has also has previous interest in large-scale mining operations and big miners are supporting his presidential candidacy,” he claimed.

The groups also hit Roxas for the supposed lack of preparation for disasters like super typhoon Yolanda.

“Even at the last moment, Roxas demonstrated his criminal neglect of disaster victims by being the lone candidate who did not condemn the violent dispersal and shooting inflicted by police on El Nino-affected farmers in Kidapawan,” Frances Quimpo, executive director of the Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines, said.

Bautista warned that although Santiago and other candidates have “progressive” track records and positions on certain issues, none of them were able to offer a “comprehensive environmental platform to reverse environmental degradation and plunder across all ecosystems and natural resources.”

“While there is a chance to vote an environmental leader in Malacañang, what we need to do more is to have a government that will ensure a balanced and healthful ecology. This will only be possible if the people remain vigilant and ‘eco-active’ way beyond the elections,” he said.

Last week, the group released its assessment on vice presidential candidates where only Senator Gringo Honasan and Camarines Representative Leni Robredo were cited for their anti-GMO and anti-coal power positions.

READ: Envi groups assess VP bets: Honasan, Robredo stand out