MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 17, 2013) – There is no so-called “Matuwid na Daan” in the Aurora Pacific Ecozone and residents of Casiguran and their supporters are contending – not since the passage of the APECO Law in 2010 — and not until today.
More than four months after a dialogue of 120 Casiguran marchers with President Benigno Aquino over the controversial 12,923 hectare economic zone, numerous anti-APECO farmers, fisher folk and indigenous people are once again crusading against the operations of the Philippines’ newest freeport.
Just on Thursday, some 150 Casiguran residents flocked to Baguio City to urge the justices of the Supreme Court to resolve petitions questioning the constitutionality of R.A. 10083, the APECO Act of 2010.
The Casiguran protesters were joined by sympathizers from the Diocese of Baguio led by Bishop Carlito Cenzon.
“The lives of thousands of Casiguran’s poor are still in danger because of the Aurora ecozone,” Father Joefran Talaban, spokesperson of Task Force Anti-APECO, said during a press conference with affected townsfolk at the Baguio Cathedral.
“Rather than allowing the Angara family’s APECO project to continue bulldozing over the rights of Casiguran’s townsfolk, we urge the Supreme Court to hold it accountable for all its offenses by declaring the APECO Law unconstitutional,” he said.
APECO is a mega-project sponsored by the family of senatorial candidate Juan Edgardo Angara. Though created for allegedly bringing ‘progress’ to the municipality of Casiguran, the freeport has since been accused by critics of infringing upon various pieces of legislation such as the CARP and IPRA laws, the Local Government Code, the Fisheries Code, and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Filed by the Public Interest Law Center and more than 200 individual petitioners in October 2011, the pending case against APECO opposes the laws establishing APECO for violating the 1987 Constitution on at least thirteen grounds, including:
· The grave disregard of the rights of Casiguran’s farmers, fisherfolk and indigenous peoples.
· The deprivation of property without the due process of law.
· The denial of the equal protection of the laws for the affected people.
· The absence of consultations with the stakeholders.
· The abolition of local government units without the proper procedure outlined in the LGC.
· The power of APECO to incur debts without the concurrence of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
· The delegation of public utilities to foreigners.
· The Non-Distribution of equal opportunities of wealth.
· The Non-Development of agricultural and marine resources.
“Whatever champions of APECO have claimed, the facts show that APECO is an unconstitutional and legally questionable project,” Talaban said. “None of the communities of Casiguran were ever consulted during the creation of the Angara’s APECO project, and none of the IP tribes gave their Free, Prior and Informed Consent and up to today, the local government units of Casiguran have yet to give their approval of the project. All of these are clear legal violations that the Supreme Court should carefully consider.”
Talaban and local residents of Casiguran were also joined by Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon, who personally expressed solidarity and support for the cause of the anti-APECO townfolk.
“I am also appealing to the president of our country and our justices to revisit this project that seems have bulldozed itself into Casiguran, and trampled over the rights of the people there,” Cenzon said. “Beloved president, beloved justices who are here in their summer session in Baguio city, please listen to the cries of our brothers and sisters from Casiguran.”
Baguio city is only the second stop of the Casiguran marchers in their return caravan to Manila. Having entered Baler in an emotional torch parade on April 16 and they will next be visiting San Jose in Nueva Ecija, Mabalacat, Angeles and San Fernando in Pampanga, Malolos in Bulacan and will be finally reaching Quezon City on April 21 and Manila by April 22.
The Casiguran marchers and their support groups intend to remain in Manila until the national government finally delivers upon the promises extended to them by President Aquino and his Cabinet Secretaries in their fateful dialogue last December 11, 2012.
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