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Monday, June 12, 2006
Pastor hits councilors on inaction of law vs aerial spraying
By Jeff M. Tupas
DAVAO CITY -- International preacher Apollo Quiboloy criticized city councilors on their continued bickering over a proposed ordinance calling for a ban on aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations.
Quiboloy, who is also known for his environmental protection advocacy, said Davao City councilors are actually hindering the banning of aerial spraying because they have not passed the ordinance.
"Who are hindering the banning? The councilors are hindering it because they have not responded appropriately the demand of the people. Aerial spraying has to stop and the councilors seem not so inclined to stopping it, they don't care that every time an airplane sprays poison to the bananas, it also sprays the people underneath with poison," he said in response to a query of his follower abroad in his program "Give us This Day" aired between 8 to 12 p.m. last June 5.
The ordinance was the subject of a heated argument in the council several weeks ago when Councilor Nenen Orcullo, the proponent of the ordinance, accused Councilor Ranulfo Cabling, chairman of the environment and natural resources committee, as "mouthpiece of the banana plantations."
Cabling, on the other hand, quickly defended himself and went on to blame Orcullo for what he said was the lady councilor's technical lapses as the reason why the proposed ordinance has not been acted upon.
The same proposed ordinance was also frozen at the office of Councilor Jesus Zozobrado who did some technical scrutiny on the proposal.
A group called Mamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying, composed of farmers from the city's Third District, have recently added their voice to the clamor noting the detrimental effect of aerial spraying to their livelihood as coconut farmers.
Likewise, there are many reported cases of skin diseases and upper respiratory infections among children and adults living in villages in the third district, which are very close to banana plantations.
Some councilors, however, are supposedly questioning the legitimacy of the groups who are opposed to aerial spraying.
"They are questioning the legitimacy of these groups? I am complaining and I am against aerial spraying. Are they also questioning my legitimacy?" Quiboloy asked.
Quiboloy said his followers are not spared from the poisonous drift of aerial spraying.
He said the administrator of their Prayer Mountain in Tamayong has been diagnosed to have candor and the pastor could only link the disease to the patient's exposure to pesticides.
Another worker who replaced the sick administrator is now also ailing.
Banana plantations surround the group's prayer mountain.
On allegations that banning aerial spraying is detrimental to the banana industry, Quiboloy said, "How about us? Aerial spraying is detrimental to us. Are bananas more important than people's lives?"
For this reason, Quiboloy urged the councilors to act on the ordinance immediately.
"The poisoning has to stop and you have to stop it. By allowing aerial spraying to continue you are also poisoning us, you are violating our rights against deadly chemicals and you will be answerable for this," Quiboloy said.
(June 12, 2006 issue)
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