An environmental group on Tuesday expressed outrage over the murder of a radio broadcaster and known environmental advocate.
“We condemn the senseless killing of Mario Contaoi, who is the eighth environmental advocate who has been killed under the Duterte administration,” Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) said in a statement.
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The group said Contaoi, who taught at the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan, used to discuss environmental issues and the problem of militarization in mining communities.
Contaoi was gunned down on January 7 by an unidentified assailant.
Sherwin de Vera of DEFEND Ilocos, which is part of the Kalikasan network, said “authorities must not discount his previous stint as radio commentator and his sharp commentaries on environmental issues as possible reasons for his murder.”
“There is a clearly persisting impunity facing environmental defenders and other activists,” said Leon Dulce, Kalikasan PNE campaign coordinator.
Dulce said an independent investigation should be conducted. He called on Environment Secretary Gina Lopez to “help push the Duterte administration to seriously probe the unabated killings of environmental advocates.”
“Ensuring the rights of environmental defenders and grassroots communities should be an integral component of President Rodrigo Duterte’s marching orders to stop environmentally destructive projects,” he said.
Dulce warned that “destructive and pollutive companies” might become more emboldened and aggressive if the killings were not solved. JE/rga