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By Ma.Ester L Espina, Correspondent
BACOLOD CITY: A group of
environmentalists and their sympathizers have signed in their
children as petitioners in filing for a temporary restraining order
(TRO) as their last recourse to stop the Energy Development
Corporation (EDC) from pursuing their geothermal development
exploration at the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park.
The class suit has so far 170
petitioners, 55 of whom are children and includes 7-month-old,
Daniel Coruna, the grandson of lawyer Andrea Si who will represent
the petitioners in court.
The case will be filed against
EDC, the Department of Energy, the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) and the Provincial Park Management Board.
Lawyer Si said the inspiration to
make the children as the prime petitioners was culled from a case
filed by environmentalist Antonio Oposa vs. DENR before the Supreme
Court citing children and those yet unborn to have the right to file
a case that will ensure their future.
Si said while the temporary
restraining order will hopefully stop EDC from pursuing the
geothermal exploration, “the case will also question the
constitutionality of the law allowing then Philippine National Oil
Co. (PNOC) and now EDC to tap into the mountain reserve. “
She added that they would also
put into question the validity of the Environmental Clearance
Certificate issued by DENR to PNOC in 1995 as well as the need for a
congressional law if EDC will tap the geothermal steam from within
the natural park.
Si said they would have wanted to
file the TRO before the Supreme Court but this might just be
reverted back to the lower courts, thus their decision to file it on
Wednesday before the Regional Trial Court here.
At the forefront of the group
opposing the entry of EDC is Green Alert, however, Si said the
environmental group is not registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) thus, their decision to look for
individual petitioners to file the case.
She also said they are still
campaigning for signatures and are hoping to get at least 70
children as petitioners, including her 16-year-old son, Anthony Si.
While Bacolod Bishop Vicente
Navarra has also publicly opposed the entry of EDC into the buffer
zone, Si said they opted not to include members of the clergy so as
to maintain the separation of Church and State, but added that the
bishop has brought their concerns before the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines.
Si said what irked them the most
is how the energy crisis Negros Occidental is projected to expect in
2010 was played up in order to “make the people swallow that there
is an imperative need to tap into our geothermal reserve.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Isidro Zayco of
Negros Occidental said he sees no legal impediment to the entry of
PNOC to the buffer zone and would sign within the week the
memorandum of agreement allowing the power company’s expansion.
The business sector has also
pushed for the entry of EDC citing the need for the province to be
self-sustainable in their power needs, especially within two years
time.
Currently, the province has been
experiencing power outage during peak hours and has no power reserve
to speak of.
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