Contrasting views on environment-related issues

MAJORITY of the candidates are pro-environment but their stand on certain environment-related issues are contradicting, an environmental group revealed.

On Friday, May 3, Interface Development Interventions (Idis) presented their “Green Survey” result during the Blue Vote Electorate Forum at the Ateneo de Davao University.

Idis policy advocacy officer Rain Catague said the group surveyed running re-electionist and neophyte councilors on their take on various environmental issues to help the public decide on who to vote this coming midterm elections.

“Gipa-answer namo sila if they agree or not on various environmental issues. We also asked ngano. Human ana, ipagawas namo ni ilang tubag, and let the people decide if angay ba sila iboto o dili (We let the councilors answer on various environmental issues. If they agree or not, and why. After that, we will publicize their answers, and let the people decide if they worthy to be voted or not),” Catague said.

However, she said there were councilors who did not answer due to unknown reasons.

“Nangalkal mi sa SP (Sangguniang Panlungsod) sa ilang track record. Maong gi-include nalang namo for fairness (What we did was we gathered some of their track record in the SP, and included it in the survey for fairness sake),” Catague said.

Based on the summary of the survey, all councilors pledged to pass and support legislations for environmental protection.

“Pero kung himay-himayon nimo ilahang mga answers, medyo contradicting ang sa uban. Like, they are against single-use plastics, and they are for the segregation of wastes, pero they are also supporting the WTE (waste-to-energy) incineration project (If you dig deeper on their answers, some of them are a bit contradicting to what they are advocating. Like, they are against single-use plastics, and they are for the segregation of wastes, but they are also supporting the WTE incineration project),” Catague said.

She also said majority of the councilors pledged to push for the passage of the environmental code and to pass legislations for the watershed protection.

Catague said voters should elevate their criteria in choosing candidates, both local and national.

“This time, issue nasab atong ipa-front. Ang voters, dapat dili lang dapat ma-persuade sa mga dagway sa kandidato, or sa ilang mga jingles ug sayaw-sayaw (This time, voters should be issue-centered in choosing candidates. They shouldn’t just be persuaded by their faces, or by their jingles being aired elsewhere, or even with their dance presentation during campaigns),” she said.

“If they really care enough sa ato, didto man gud nako makita sa ilang answers on environmental issues (If they really care enough for us, we would determine it based on their answers on environemtal issues),” she added.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace campaigner Virginia Llorin said this year’s election should be seized as an opportunity for Filipinos to be wise in electing officials.

She said only few national candidates are vocal in discussing environmental issues, especially during election campaign events such as miting de abanse.

“We also want these candidates to discuss their plans especially on the agri issues. Kasi supposed to be agri-countryt tayo, pero sino ba mahihirap? Mga farmers and fishermen. Antagal na nito na problema, pero kulang pa rin ang tugon para sa kanila (Ironically, we are an agriculture country, but who are those living in poverty? It’s the farmers and the fishermen. This has been a longtime problem, but actions taken to the problem is very lacking),” Llorin said.

Greenpeace presented during the event launched the #IsyuHindiKandidato campaign that aims to urge the public to demand concrete policies and programs to candidates to make the country sustainable.