By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Amid the murky tides of bureaucratic babbling and finger-pointing over the wanton approval of reclamation projects in Manila Bay, the call for a “reclamation-free zone” is emerging.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) deftly highlights that mere rhetoric won’t halt the bulldozers, demanding substantive action. The group wants President Marcos to issue an executive order to declare Manila Bay’s waters a reclamation-free zone to curb the reckless transformation of vital ecosystems.
At present, the government’s suspension of reclamation projects is a step towards accountability, albeit a hesitant one. Yet, the shadow of negligence looms big on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
PAMALAKAYA’s plea for economic restitution and long-term rehabilitation is also just since some of these reclamation projects are not just a reckless violation of nature but also a disruption of livelihoods.
While some companies approved to undertake their reclamation development projects practiced due diligence and took the long route to ensure compliance with environmental standards, they, too, now suffer the same fate as the reckless ones. Their suspension now, although unjust, is the collateral effect of negligence by the DENR and other concerned agencies.
This whole scenario is more of an indictment of governance that fosters a culture of disregard for the environment and those dependent on it. It should have been the government’s responsibility not just to scrutinize projects but to foster holistic growth that respects both land and lives.
China calling for calm?
After China’s audacious actions in the West Philippine Sea, it now has the gall to call on the Philippines to be calm and engage Beijing in discussions to prevent another incident at Ayungin Shoal.
That’s a double-bladed threat and an insult after its Coast Guard aimed and fired its water cannons on a Filipino resupply mission vessel to Ayungin Shoal early this month. China supposedly submitted its “concept paper” based on an “internal understanding” of how the two countries should handle the issue.
“Internal understanding,” they say. Perhaps, it’s time for China’s internal compass to find the direction of international law. It’s heavily doubtful, though, if China’s diplomacy comes with genuine respect for sovereignty and established norms of other countries like the Philippines.
Even China’s call for dialogue is poorly premised because it cannot stand the fact that the Philippines has a legitimate claim over maritime territories in the South China Sea. Are we to believe that a nation defying an international arbitral ruling now advocates rational dialogue?
If China wants table discussions, all its Coast Guard and militia vessels should first be pulled out from the West Philippine Sea. That action would hold more weight in diplomatic dialogue than concept papers.
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