Saturday, June 16, 2007 Groups hit 'corporate arrogance' of banana growers By Grace L. Plata
AERIAL spray ban advocates staged a rally in front of the office of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) on Rizal Street, Davao City on Thursday, condemning what they labeled as PBGEA's "corporate arrogance and greed."
The Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (Maas) group, armed with banners and placards, rallied against PBGEA, the federation of banana companies that is up against the City Government and environmentalists over the controversial aerial spraying ban ordinance.
For more than one hour, the rally went on with spokespersons from the communities affected by aerial spraying challenging PBGEA officers to come out of their office and talk to them.
No one, however, answered the challenge.
"Sa kadugay nang panahon nga kami nag-antos samtang kamo-kamong mga anaa sa PBGEA nagpakadato. Nganong dili man gyud ninyo mahimong buhian ang aerial spraying? Nganong kinahanglan man gyud ninyong pakamatyan ang aerial spraying? Nganong kinahanglan man gyud ninyong ikiha ang city government nga nagpasa sa ordinansa?" Corazon Sabinada, a resident of Barangay Sirib in Calinan District said.
Sabinada, along with husband Pedro, is always present in every demonstration against aerial spraying. She said aerial spraying has caused them so much trouble.
The environmental group Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Idis) said the questions raised by the PBGEA over aerial spraying and the case it filed against the City Government only exposed the corporate arrogance and greed of the PBGEA.
"Had PBGEA respected the will of the city government and the people to ban aerial spraying, then they could have gained face and retained a semblance of integrity. But their blatant defiance of the ordinance shows they have lost all sense of corporate social responsibility," Lia Jasmin Esquillo, executive director of Idis said.
PBGEA, along with the Davao Fruits Corporation and the Lapanday Agricultural and Development Corporation, has brought to court their resistance of the aerial spraying ban ordinance signed into law in February.
Last week, the marathon hearing set by the court for the PBGEA's appeal for the court to issue a preliminary injunction ended.
The ordinance is set to be implemented on June 23 if the court does not grant its petition for an injunction.
Judge Renato Fuentes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14, however, said the court will make a decision before June 23.
