Wednesday, December 19, 2007 (Philippines)

IBP lawyers believe dolphins (like these photographed by Sun.Star chief photographer Alex Badayos) can sue but may not be sued and can seek enforcement of international agreements and national statutes aimed at protecting their habitat.(Sun.star file) DOLPHINS and whales are disgruntled with an ongoing oil exploration in Tañon Strait—at least this is what a petition to stop the activity states. Possibly for the first time in the Philippines, the petitioners were listed as resident marine mammals of the Tañon Strait protected seascape, such as toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises and other cetacean species. A team from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-National Environment Action Team (IBP-Neat), headed by lawyer Dante Ramos, flew to Manila yesterday to file the petitions before the Supreme Court (SC). [full story]