Senatorial bets vow to reject “anti-people” environmental policies such as the Mining Act and reclamation projects, during an environmental town hall held by Panatang Luntian on March 14 at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman.
Ronnel Arambulo of Makabayan Bloc argued that the Mining Act of 1995 allows mining companies to destroy mountains, while reclamation projects displace fisherfolk and disturb marine life.
“Lahat ng mga makapaminsala na proyekto sa ating kalikasan na siya namang mga dahilan kung bakit may climate change ay dapat po itong matigil at lumikha tayo ng mga batas na tiyak na poprotektahan ‘yung ating kalikasan. Dito po nakaugat ang lahat,” Arambulo said.
The event coincided with a protest staged by the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, where they denounced ongoing reclamation projects across Manila Bay, saying that these projects led to the “gradual loss” of their mussel farms.
Likewise, independent candidate Norman Marquez condemned the Mining Law and reclamation projects.
“‘Yung mga batas na ‘di naaayon tulad ng Mining Act ay pwede nating palitan o baguhin at pati ‘yung mga reclamation, aayusin natin ‘yan para magkaroon tayo ng mas well-rounded na macro-economic na solution sa mga problema,” Marquez proposed.
For Makabayan’s Danilo Ramos, the prevalence of mining enabled by the law allowing it “influences the severity” of flash floods.
“Malaki ang pananagutan [ng] government policies and programs sa nakaraan hanggang ngayon. Kaya po ang mahalaga, repeal Mining Act of 1995. Kagyat na itigil ang pagmimina, pagtotroso, at pagwawasak sa ating kabundukan,” Ramos said.
Research conducted by Amnesty International from September 2023 and October 2024 revealed that mining projects cause “serious risks to communities’ health and environment.” Similarly, the UP Marine Science Institute’s cumulative impact assessment on the Manila Bay reclamation project showed that such development plans could affect the area’s water circulation and the local fishermen’s livelihood.
However, the full content of the cumulative impact assessment, commissioned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has yet to be made publicly available, prompting Advocates of Science and Technology for the People to demand its disclosure.
As of 2024, the Philippines ranks 169th out of 180 countries in a sustainability index conducted by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy.
‘Greenest and dirtiest candidates’
A fact-checking study conducted by the environmental group Panatang Luntian, called Envibe Check, revealed that the “green candidates”—those who “champion pro-environmental policies, supported grassroots movements, and pushed for laws defending environmental rights”—mostly come from the Makabayan bloc.
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The study also revealed that the “dirtiest candidates” were predominantly from former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s slates, as they “consistently favored destructive and repressive policies.”
Among those candidates is Ariel Querubin, a retired Marine Corps officer.
On the extractive aspect of the assessment or the act of removing natural resources, it was found that Querubin served as an internal security consultant for San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and a special assistant to Ramon S. Ang, the company’s president.
In 2024, SMC was recognized as the “lone Philippine company” in the Toxic Bonds Network’s Dirty 30, which lists “thirty of the worst fossil fuel companies in the world that are using the bond market to finance coal, oil and gas expansion.”
SMC is also facing allegations of human rights violations with their development projects, which have affected Bulacan farmers and Indigenous Peoples in Palawan.
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Since 2012, the Philippines has remained the deadliest country in Asia for environmental activists..
Envibe Check concluded that the Environmental Defenders and Civic Spaces aspect of the study served as the strongest determinant of whether a senatorial candidate is pro or anti-environment.
Ramon Bautista “Bong” Revilla was rated one of the “dirtiest candidates”, being known for his stance on the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which he sponsored in 2005.
Environmental groups warn ATA could threaten and violate the rights of environmental defenders, citing its grant of “extensive power” to the Anti-Terrorism Council.
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The assessment was conducted by collecting the news reports and documents on the candidates’ pronouncements and track records.
The seven thematic environmental concerns revolve around food, energy and climate, biodiversity and conservation, waste and pollution, urban green spaces and mass transportation, environmental defenders and civic space and extractives and other environmentally destructive projects.
Envibe Check was an initiative started by Panatang Luntian in 2022. The organization said it is important to “elect leaders who will stand with the people and the planet” amid climate change and environmental degradation.
