The use of common sense is needed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in dealing with critics of the Manila Bay “white sand” project, a youth group said.

Akbayan Youth called out DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda for his recent remark over their criticisms on the dumping of crushed dolomites along Manila Bay.

“Hindi porke't tinutuligsa namin ang dolomite sand dumping ay gusto namin ng basura. Ibig bang sabihin kapag pinuna namin ang bako-bakong highway, gusto namin na hindi ito sementado? Konting common sense naman, Mr. Antiporda,” (It’s not because we criticize the dolomite sand dumping, that we want a pile of garbage. Does it mean if we have something to say about a rough highway, we want it unpaved? How about a little common sense, Mr. Antiporda),” Akbayan Youth chair Dr. RJ Naguit said.

Antiporda had criticized Akbayan after it filed a motion last Thursday urging the Supreme Court to cite DENR in contempt for dumping hazardous dolomites along Manila Bay. 

Akbayan asked the High Tribunal to declare the DENR’s action as a direct violation of its order to the government to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay.

Naguit is among the petitioners, along with Akbayan chair emeritus Etta Rosales and Akbayan-Manila Youth Leader Rafaela David. 

The DENR official claimed that Akbayan has done nothing concrete in saving the degrading status of Manila Bay.

“If they call the dolomite overlaying as ‘dumping’, what do we call the pile of garbage and silt that was recovered in that area? Can we call it ‘caring’ for Manila Bay,” Antiporda said.

But Naguit denied this: “Our organization and members have joined numerous coastal clean-ups and other environmental efforts throughout the years.”

The group reiterated that Manila Bay “needs to be saved, but it has to be saved the right way.”