MikeLigalig.com

By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle

A militant organization of fisherfolks will be filing "economic sabotage" raps against the Department of Energy and NorAsian Energy Ltd. for the loss of income of some 40,000 fishermen caused by the ongoing oil exploration at the Bohol-Cebu Strait.

Leaders of the militant fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) estimates an income loss of P500 a day for each fishermen in 11 towns of Bohol and Cebu due to the seismic survey, Pamalakaya information officer Gerry Corpuz said in an interview with the Chronicle and dyRD's Pulso Friday.

The owners of the Australian based NorAsian Energy, including national and regional officials of the DOE and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be the principal respondents of criminal charges to be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with oil and gas exploration activity, Corpuz bared.

Pamalakaya leaders met last Wednesday in Manila to finalize the plan, adding that they would charge NorAsian and top environment and energy officials of economic sabotage for preventing small fishermen to fish off the waters of the marine protected areas separating the island provinces of Bohol and Cebu.

Pamalakaya, in a press statement, said those who would be charged for economic sabotage and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act are owners and officers of NorAsia, Allan Arranguez, acting regional director of DENR Central Visayas, Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla and DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes.

The militant group said the case they would file is in support to the action taken by Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim and 30 leaders of non-government organizations (NGOs), fisherfolk groups and local government units opposed to the offshore oil survey.

Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap, said in his press statement, that the impact of the "anti-fisherfolk and anti-environment oil and gas chase" is now being felt.

Some 500 small fishermen in Sibonga and 300 fishermen in Argao towns in Cebu now complaining because they were forced to stop fishing from June 14 to June 28 to give way to the vessel M/V Pacific Sword conducting the seismic survey.

"This is economic sabotage and economic massacre rolled into one. The government's shameless and brazen display of national betrayal should be exposed, condemned and stopped," Hicap said.

"Definitely we will bring this case to one of the appropriate courts, including the Supreme Court if the situation merits… to obtain a cease and desist order and stop the corporate giants and their cohorts in Malacañang, in the DENR and DoE from further destroying the environment and from further depriving the small fishermen of their economic and political rights," the Pamalakaya leader added.

Hicap said the case would be filed the soonest possible time, saying the case is being studied and prepared carefully to come up with "a strong class suit" against the "raiders of Bohol-Cebu Strait."

Pamalakaya's Hicap initially pegged income loss for some 800 affected fishermen in Sibonga and Argao between P5.6 million to P6 million pesos.

Hicap said Pamalakaya members in Bohol and Cebu are now coordinating their next move on how to campaign against the oil exploration, saying protests ranging from fluvial actions and pickets will be staged.

Corpuz said a petition will be filed in the Senate and House of Representatives urging lawmakers to conduct a separate or joint congressional inquiry on the harsh effects of seismic surveys in declared protected seascapes of the Visayan Sea.

The fishermen's group had warned of "severe fish crisis" if government would not cancel all offshore mining activities in the Visayan Sea, adding that the far reaching effect of oil and exploration could lead to "a decline of 600,000 metric tons in the yearly production of fish" in the country or approximately 20 percent of the annual national production.

The fisherfolk group said the oil seismic survey will affect not only small fishermen but also fishing workers and their dependents.(July 1, 2007)

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=2159.0

This is not only an economic sabotage, but a shameless aggression to the Boholano people.... we are being bullied here by NorAsian oil company through the consent of DOE... they have succeeded in placing bribe.... pipila ra man ka mga dagkong officiales ang nakasapi ani???....

If every Boholano would act and throw a stone on this ship, I am sure it would sink..... We shall not succumb without a fight....

This illegal act must be exposed to international level... mga kaigsoonan, we are the ones affected here and each one of us would be responsible ..... please help me expose this to international level by forwarding this news to any foreign news agency you could possibly find in the internet so that the world may know.....

I praise our simple fishermen... I praise Mayor Lim, Mayor Redulla and all the mayors who support the Boholano masses.... I praise Mike Ligalig for spreading this information....

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=2159.0