Saturday, September 30, 2006 Ledesma: Pollution in the City Council By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
THE debate in the City Council on the controversial issue of aerial spraying is heavily polluted with orchestrated display of a crazy mob in the gallery and terrorism by the environmental committee that is consumed with only one stupid agenda: total ban of aerial spraying.
Intertwined in this melee is the covert plot by organic fertilizer suppliers which, according to some members of the city council themselves, is pushing for organic culture in corporate farms. Add to this the brazen and dubious plot of well-connected persons of influence, so they flaunt, to acquire lands and expand their private retreat.
Why, even the elements of Task Force Davao are serving as security guards for this exclusive domain. I have often wondered why and how the NPA band of Commander Parago can pillage a banana plantation for several hours and in broad daylight without being monitored by TFD! I cannot help but stray into the role of TFD because I have so much faith in this institution that have helped in maintaining peace and order condition in Davao City.
The debate in the City Council should have cleared some clouded issues surrounding aerial spray. But this is suppressed by sheer arrogance of those who are pushing for the ban and by the din of panhandling NGOs who had been peddling lies in the past to serve their fund-raising activities.
While Mayor Duterte had issued a stand against aerial spray of chemicals, he had recently issued a statement urging the councilors to carefully evaluate the impact of the proposed ban. I personally understand this to mean that the Council and the environment committee in particular, conduct a thorough probe on whether or not the toxicity level of the fungicide used by the banana and pineapple corporate farms is really causing hazards to the communities adjacent to the plantations. There is some kind of oddity here because even those who had been rowdily demonstrating in front of the legislative building look a lot healthier than some councilors.
So far, the environment committee has not presented any substantial proof that indeed the fungicides sprayed on banana plantations have caused ailments on the community. The environment militants like the types of Dr. Quijano are stoically against any form of chemical applications either by hand spray or aerial spray. They cite a litany of chemicals that had been banned because of their dangerous toxicity. We will not argue against that. In fact some of these are still used in vegetable farms, rice and corn fields. These banned chemicals are smuggled through the backdoors and are sold cheap. But banana plantations have no use for these types. Why the rush by the environment committee to stop aerial spray, which is the most efficient method adopted in advanced countries escapes me. Countries utilizing aerial spray have more organized environment watchdogs. They are pregnant about aerial application but they monitor closely the toxicity levels of chemicals used.
I think that there will be no debate about putting sanctions against aerial spray if this proceeds from the findings that the fungicides used are really hazardous to health. Presently, health authorities have nothing to back up that allegation. Even the so-called victims named by the environmental groups have come out in the open to decry and belie the claims of militants that they were victims of aerial spray.
I want to sum up this sensitive issue of aerial ban by recalling the morbid news about the "massive hito fish kill in Los Amigos which the environment militants claimed was caused by aerial sprayed chemicals." That dramatic claim was a BIG LIE.
