𝗚𝗧𝗖 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗯 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲

As Duterte gives his final SONA on July 26, 2021, the environmental movement is enraged with his performance on protecting the environment and ensuring a safe and sound ecology for Filipinos.

Green Thumb Coalition (GTC) is revolted that Duterte has betrayed nature and betrayed the Filipino people, especially in relation to handling this pandemic. Claiming to be a green President during the campaign in 2016, his promises on regulating mining, land use, and protecting the rivers and forests have not been achieved. Promises that would have lessened the impacts of COVID19 to the rural poor and indigenous peoples, if they were delivered.

The annual Green Scorecard of GTC since 2017 has recorded a consistent deterioration of the government’s performance on the nine thematic areas of the Green Agenda. The Duterte regime gets a failing grade in all thematic areas for i) failing to properly implement our environmental laws, ii) regulate the industry to reduce environmental impacts (e.g. mining, plantations, dams, and reclamation projects), iii) push for the enactment in Congress of the Green Bills on mining, land-use, forestry, and indigenous conserved areas, and iv) prepare the country for the impacts of climate change and disasters.

Green groups are also sickened by the continuing harassment and killings of environmental defenders, particularly women and indigenous peoples. In 2020, the Philippines remain to be one of the most dangerous countries for environmental activists who face harassment, threats, and even murder for standing up for their rights to land, livelihoods, and culture.

Adding insult to injury, Duterte has totally reversed the gains and victories against irresponsible and destructive mining, with the issuance of EO 130, or the responsible mining policy of this administration. This after he reversed the mining suspension and closure orders by former DENR Sec. Gina Lopez.

Duterte greenwashed himself during the campaign and in the early years of his administration. But his hands remained bloodstained red with the killings of his various so-called wars against drugs, against poverty, and against the pandemic. It seems that he didn’t win in any of these.

To the dismal failure of the Duterte regime in protecting and promoting environmental protection, green groups say goodbye and good riddance to the Duterte regime.

We have learned the bitter lessons from the pandemic and the wrong choices we made in selecting incompetent and corrupt leaders. We will make sure that we won’t make the same mistakes. We will inform and mobilize our communities and reach out to the general public especially the youth, to use their votes wisely in the 2022 elections.

We will work to prevent the continuation of a disastrous regime to lead the country. #

For details, pls. contact: Jaybee Garganera, GTC Co-Convenor – (+63917) 5498218 / nc@alyansatigilmina.net