PETITIONERS expressed strong disappointment after the Court of Appeals denied their request for a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (Tepo) for the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project, also known as the Davao-Samal (DavSam) Bridge.
The group said that the Tepo would have halted the ongoing construction that has done damage to Paradise Reef in Samal and Hizon Marine Protected Area in Davao City.
They then encourage the public to remain engaged, informed, and vigilant because they will proceed to the next stages of the case.
The group said that the setback of the non-issuance of Tepo has hardened their resolve to fight for the reefs, fisherfolks, law, and future.
Carmela Marie Santos, environmental advocate and member of the Sustainable Davao Movement, expressed dismay over the refusal of the Court of Appeals to issue a citation ticket, saying that the coral reefs that took centuries to grow are being destroyed in just a matter of weeks.
“This decision allows continued harm to ecosystems that sustain not only marine life, but livelihoods and food sources of coastal communities,” she said.
The group said that despite the denial of the issuance of Tepo, they will continue to pursue justice by upholding the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology as stipulated in Article II, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution.
Santos added that the petitioners did not come to court to obstruct the development but to defend the law, protect biodiversity, and speak up on behalf of the fisherfolk.
She said that they wanted to hold public institutions accountable for failing to consider less harmful alternatives.
She stressed that the scientific findings they submitted for the case have documented the destruction of live coral colonies, sedimentation impacts, and the declining number of fish caught. However, these do not seem to be enough to be granted an interim protection.
Earlier, the Court of Appeals denied issuing the Tepo for the SIDC, citing that the “disruption would harm public interest.”
In a document posted by Island Garden City of Samal Mayor Manuel "Toto" Reyes on Friday, July 11, 2025, it stipulated that the CA issuing a Tepo in the stage of construction of the project would be “a disruption to the government infrastructure that is already in progress”, which would harm the public interest.
The document was signed by Associate Justice Anisah Amandin-Umpa and concurred by Associate Justices Evalyn Arellano-Morales and Jill Rose Jaugan-Lo.
A Tepo is a provisional order issued by a court directing a person or entity performing an act that may cause environmental damage to halt whatever it is doing. The Tepo ensures the preservation of the status quo where the environmental harm is ongoing or is likely to occur pending the final resolution of the environmental case.
To recall, the petition for the Writ of Kalikasan was filed on April 21, 2025, by residents and environmental groups, urging the halting of construction activities threatening vital coral ecosystems.
A Writ of Kalikasan is a legal remedy granted to protect the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology when such is violated or threatened by unlawful acts or omissions.
The SIDC is a toll-free, four-lane extradosed bridge that spans 4.76 kilometers, connecting R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika in Davao City to the Samal Circumferential Road. It features a 275-meter main span, 47-meter vertical clearance for marine traffic, and a 1.62-kilometer marine section supported by 73-meter-high pylons. The project includes roundabouts, ramps, and approach roads. RGP