Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday, August 9, said the government should ensure that appropriate charges are filed against erring public officials or individuals should there be sufficient evidence of irregularities in relation to the controversial Manila Bay Reclamation Projects.
Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero (MB File Photo)
Escudero made the call as he expressed support to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to suspend ongoing reclamation projects in Manila Bay, after he received reports of problems in their implementation, except for one which is now pending review.
Escudero earlier cautioned Malacañang against blocking the projects solely on the basis of the United States’ government concern over “long-term environment impact.”
The senator, however, said he is not opposed to a review “as long as it is evidence-based, and not arbitrary.” It is also necessary to rectify it if irregularity is found in the granting of environmental permits.
“If any will be cancelled or rectified, appropriate charges should be filed against erring officials and individuals in order to exact accountability or responsibility para hindi na tularan pa ng iba (so others won’t have to follow suit),” he said.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda also said she is grateful to President Marcos’ declaration of suspension of reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
“Reclamation was never an ecological option, rather, it is an engineering one, meant to expand land area. It is warranted for when there is precious little land,” Legarda said in a separate statement.
“However, if its value is solely for the purpose of making money, we need to be more guarded, making evaluations based on the totality of the circumstances, and not just purely from a fiscal perspective,” she stressed.
According to Legarda, this is the reason why she filed a bill to amend the Environmental Impact Assessment System, as well as one for Integrated Coastal Management.
“After all, it is part of our intergenerational responsibility to ensure that our decisions are ecologically sound and does not contribute further to the climate crisis or biodiversity loss,” she stressed.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros also welcomed the President’s suspension of reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
Hontiveros noted there are questionable entities involved in those projects, particularly the China state-owned China Communications Construction Co., (CCCC) which has “historically destroyed our marine ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea.”
“Dapat hindi na tayo nakikipagsapalaran sa mga kumpanya tulad ng CCCC (We should not be taking risks with companies like CCCC),” she said.
Hontiveros also said she hopes that the Senate Resolution No. 300 which she filed last year would finally be heard by the Senate as soon as possible.
The Resolution 300 seeks a Senate inquiry into the reported large-scale land reclamation projects being undertaken on a nationwide scale in the Philippines, including these projects in Manila Bay.
“Dapat maghunos dili ang gubyerno sa mga proyektong nakasisira ng ating kalikasan. Kapag nagiba ang likas-yaman, hindi na ito basta-bastang maibabalik (The government should not deal with projects that destroy our nature. Once a natural resource is destroyed, it cannot simply be restored),” she stressed.