Wednesday, December 05, 2007
IBP to file petition to stop Tañon Strait oil drilling
A TEAM of lawyers belonging to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) will be filing a petition to stop the oil drilling at the Tañon Strait.
Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, IBP-National Environmental Action Team (Neat) deputy chairperson for the Visayas, announced this to University of the Philippines (UP) students.
The official publication of UP, Tug-Ani, organized yesterday the “Lana ug Dugo” forum on the activities at Tañon Strait.
The disadvantages of the exploratory drilling outweigh its advantages, according to representatives of IBP-Neat, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Fisherfolk Development Center (Fidec) Inc.
The forum started with a film showing where fisherfolk from Pinamungajan town complained of the loss of livelihood after the exploratory oil drilling of Japan Exploration Ltd. (Japex) started last Nov. 15.
The exploration affected nine coastal barangays from Toledo City, six from Pinamungajan and four from Aloguinsan town.
Lawyer Liza Osorio of IBP-Neat asked where social justice is when fishermen lost their means of income.
Vince Cinches, Fidec executive director, noted that 11 to 13 species of water mammals were also lost since the start of a seismic survey in 2004, in preparation for the Japex activity this year.
Dolphins used to be visible at the Cebu area of Tañon Strait, off the coasts of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan, every 7 a.m., said Cinches.
If the exploration is successful, Tañon Strait could deliver one billion barrels of oil in eight to 10 years.
But Cinches asked if we should equate this with the loss of livelihood of thousands of fishermen and marine life.
Drilling in the area reaches 255 decibels, Cinches said. If the threshold for humans is 80, noise threshold for fish is less than that.
“We need to tell all Cebuanos that this fight is not just for the fisherfolk and mammals but for everybody’s survival,” said Ramos, challenging the UP students. (JGA)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (December 5, 2007 issue)
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