Lawmaker to submit writ to Supreme Court

TUBA, Benguet – Representative Ronald Cosalan led the signing of the Writ of Kalikasan Saturday morning backed by 16 other complainants.

Lawyers Pablito Sanidad, George Fukai III, Noe Villanueva and Francisca Claver comprise the four-man legal team backing the filing of the Writ of Kalikasan on Tuesday at the Supreme Court, which will be hand carried by Cosalan.

Under the law, the Writ of Kalikasan issued by the Philippine Supreme Court gives teeth to the power of citizens to assert their rights for a better ecology.

Cosalan said first to receive their copies of the case will be city officials starting with Mayor Mauricio Domogan and the entire City Council. “I will then go to Manila to give Secretary Ramon Paje a copy then go to the Supreme Court.”

Cosalan said it is expected after three days the SC will issue a Temporary Environmental Protection Order [TEPO] to the city.

Benguet Board Member Johnny Waguis also pitched in support for the filing of the Writ by standing as one of 16 complainants. “I took this responsibility; I have to protect our constituents.”

Other complainants from Tuba include Pedro Buyagao, Erlinda Soriano, Leonardo Taganas, Mike Bunnol, Hilario Palos, Elisa Mariano. The entire local council of Aringay, La Union, likewise backed the Benguet case against the city with Councilors Charlie Chan Juloya, Benjamin Ong Sibuma, Emelio Roland Salting Yaranon, Teresita Oculto Garcia, Vito Dacanay Balangue, Romeo Bernal Cariño, Genoveva Lopez Obra and Victoriano Castro Batario.

National Artist for visual arts Benedicto Cabrera said as he signed the document, “I am a resident of Tuba and I believe in this (Write of Kalikasan).”

The Writ of Kalikasan is aimed to prevent the city from dumping its garbage at the Irisan dumpsite, causing further damage to the environment.

“It has come to this, they should really stop dumping at Irisan, now it will be the courts to stop them,” Cosalan said.

The August 27 trash slide at the Irisan dumpsite killed six people who were asleep inside their homes when the 15,000 tons of garbage fell on them.

At the height of Typhoon Mina, an estimated 7,000 tons of garbage made its way down to Kilometer 5 of Asin Road at the tip of the Woodcarver’s Village, a stretch of 600 meters affecting the nearby Benguet town.