Bulatlat News
Environmental group said the Aerotropolis project has “resulted in the displacement of coastal communities, the loss of their livelihood, the deforestation of their mangrove forest, and numerous cases of harassment from police and military agents.”
By EIKEE JAMELA CAPPAL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Environmental defenders called on the United Nations to investigate the impacts of the P740 billion ($15 billion) controversial Aerotropolis project in Bulacan.
Environmental groups led by Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (KALIKASAN), Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM), National Federation of Small-Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines (PAMALAKAYA), and the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) submitted letters to several UN special rapporteurs revealing how the project has resulted in environmental degradation, pollution, and biodiversity loss, as well as human rights violations.
These groups are part of the Philippine Universal Periodic Review Watch (Philippine UPR Watch), whose members are lobbying at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UN HRC) 54th Session in Geneva, Switzerland.
The New Manila International Airport will be housed in the Aerotropolis project, which is being undertaken by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
SMC is working with a Dutch company for the reclamation project. The world’s largest dredging company, Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) signed a deal worth €1.5 billion (around P90 billion) with SMC, a contract backed by the Dutch government through export credit organization Atradius Dutch State Business (Atradius DSB).
Read: SMC airport project to worsen flooding, displace families in Bulacan
Read: ‘Direct hit’ Bulacan fisherfolk most affected, least consulted on SMC reclamation
Ang, in a recent YouTube interview, said that the Bulacan airport may decongest Metro Manila.
“Hopefully, because of the airport, more jobs will be created, Central Luzon will progress even more, and we can solve the flood in Bulacan and Pampanga,” he added.
However, Kalikasan’s international network coordinator Clemente Bautista said the project has instead “resulted in the displacement of coastal communities, the loss of their livelihood, the deforestation of their mangrove forest, and numerous cases of harassment from police and military agents.”
Earlier this month, two environmental activists were abducted and later surfaced by the military. Both were actively involved in community organizing, particularly among fisherfolk families affected by the reclamation, said Bautista.
Environmental activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, were kidnapped on September 2, in Orion, Bataan, and forcibly detained by members of the 70th Infantry Battalion and the Philippine National Police Special Action Forces. After being held for 17 days, they were released to the media by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), where they shocked everyone with their declaration that the military had detained them against their will.
Read: 2 environmental activists defy military, expose abduction
Read: No basis for military to detain 2 environmental activists, says human rights lawyer
The Philippines was named Asia’s most dangerous country for environmental activists. This is the tenth year in a row that the Philippines has been included on the list by Global Witness.
“It’s urgent that the UN HRC continue its monitoring of the dire human rights situation in the Philippines. We urge the UN Special Rapporteurs to look into the violations of economic, social, and cultural rights, particularly the right of the Filipino people to a clean, toxin-free, healthy, and sustainable environment, as well as to ensure that the government protects the rights and welfare of environmental defenders,” added Bautista. (JJE, RTS) 
