Tuesday, November 04, 2008 Cabaero: Breaking the silence By Nini B. Cabaero Beyond 30
AT LEAST Cebu lawyers are keeping a watch over possible ill effects of the exploration for oil and gas deposits in the waters off Sibonga and Argao.
The silence of other sectors—the local government units and even the Catholic Church—over the environmental and social concerns surrounding the exploration work can be deafening.
With the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu chapter making official its concern over possible ill effects of the exploration, there is some effort to monitor what’s happening off the shores of two Cebu towns. It is not true Cebuanos are concerned purely with the money that will come out of the oil discovery, if it happens. It is not true Cebuanos have no concern for their brother or sister fishers.
While reaction in Cebu could be described as moderate for now, it is a different matter when it came to neighboring Bohol.
Bohol is directly affected because of the drilling work being undertaken in the Bohol Strait by Nor-Asian Energy Ltd., an Australian company.
On July 17, 2007, the Diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol issued a pastoral statement signed by Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso outlining concerns over the lack of consultation with the affected residents and the need to safeguard marine protected areas and to have an equitable sharing of the revenues.
“The history of oil exploration is replete with examples of individual and corporate greed and insensitivity to the people in the locality,” it said.
The same pastoral letter called on residents and local governments to be vigilant and make known their stance on the oil drilling program. It said the diocese was “appalled” that local communities and officials who have a stake in the area were not duly consulted. It then declared the diocese’s “moral stance” that no drilling should proceed without wide consultation with the people and public disclosure of details of the contract, and a mechanism for just compensation.
Through this united effort of the diocese, Tagbilaran has shown the way on how to address programs for the search for oil and gas deposits.
In Cebu, the IBP has taken up the cudgels for Sibonga and Argao fishermen who reportedly were harassed for their opposition to the oil and gas explorations. The IBP said it wants a dialogue with local officials over the harassment of protesting fishermen by soldiers and policemen. A letter will be sent to Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez, Sibonga Mayor Lionel Bacaltos and Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos, according to a Sun.Star Cebu report.
The harassment took the form of searches during a protest action, confiscation of placards and streamers and questions on the whereabouts of protest leaders.
The IBP noted the “seeming lack of appreciation by the local chief executives of the crucial role they play in environmental and human rights protection and in the enforcement of fisheries laws.” It said a discussion with all stakeholders is needed to protect the fishers from the loss of livelihood and against further harassment.
