ENRAGED Alliance Unity Statement

ENRAGED! Alliance Unity Statement
July 12, 2005

We, environmental activists, have weighed up Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and we believe that she has failed miserably as a President especially in the aspect of environmental protection and natural resources management.

The past years of continued corruption, selling out of our national patrimony to foreign interest and neglect over environmental issues have worsened the people’s lives and the state of our environment. We now demand change as we see that more years with GMA, her advisers and apologists will seriously threaten all our efforts to protect the environment and conserve the country’s remaining natural resources.

She has been the primary proponent of environmental plunder with her globalization policies that promote massive resource extraction for profit. Her mining liberalization program and promotion of large-scale commercial logging have displaced hundreds of thousands of Filipinos and resulted in massive devastation of our forest and mountains.

Most importantly, Gloria Arroyo has never shown genuine interest in the welfare of indigenous peoples (IPs), upland communities, and environmental advocates. She has passed policies and orders that silence the voice and weaken the rights of IPs and peasants who oppose destructive environmental and economic projects of her administration such as large dams, coal power plants, large-scale mining and logging.

After four years, the Arroyo administration failed to stop or reverse the wanton destruction of our ecosystems that led to environmental tragedies. During the same period, Arroyo has not ensured justice nor compensation to thousands of victims of environmental disasters such as the 2003 Southern Leyte landslides, 2004 Aurora-Quezon flashfloods, the US military toxic contamination in Central Luzon and the Marcopper-Placerdome mine waste spill in Marinduque.

She has allowed the military and paramilitary groups to be used as mercenaries of foreign multinational corporations resulting in the killing of several environmental activists.

Therefore, we add our voices to calls for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to step down or be ousted.

We join hands with the rest of the Filipinos, who are convinced that GMA has cheated her way to the presidency. Thus, the Arroyo administration has lost the legal and moral reason to govern.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go. Through this, the people and the environment will be given relief from the suffering and destruction the Arroyo Administration has caused.

As responsible citizens and defenders of the environment, we deem it necessary to seek for the earliest resolution of the current political crisis, but we want the resolution to be judicious, pro-people and pro-environment.

Only a process of replacing GMA that upholds civilian supremacy will be acceptable to our ranks. A post-Arroyo administration should be able to uphold the democratic rights of the people, defend our national patrimony as well as assert its independence from foreign interest.

We also stand firm in our belief that our environmental agenda would be best put forward if the post-Arroyo government would genuinely represent the interest of marginalized sectors of society.

We call on our people to exercise their sovereign right to bring about a government that is independent, moral, pro-environment and pro-people in the face of Arroyo administration continued efforts to usurp it. Onward with people power!

Signed: ENRAGED Members
Clemente Bautista Jr., Kalikasan-PNE
Frances Quimpo, CEC-Phils
Roy Alvarez, Mother Earth Foundation
Ester Perez de Tagle, COCAP
Fritzie Punsalang, Brigadang Berde
Lodel Magbanua, LRC-KsK
Retchel Sasing, SEARICE
Marlea Munez, WEDPRO
Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA
Dr. Romy Quijano, PAN-AP
Bency Ellorin, Task Force Macalajar
Trixie Concepcion, Earth Island Institute-Phils
Fr. Al Albor, CARE Foundation
Joey Papa, Bangon Kalikasan Movement
Dr. Helen Mendoza, SOLJUS PAX
Rey Paulin, KAMP
Tito Fiel, DCMI
Rey Palacio, SIYAP/Oppose Dumpsite
Dr. Giovani Tapang, AGHAM
Voltaire Tupaz, SIBAT
Ederliza Rea, DAMAYAN
Eloisa Bosito, MASIPAG
Ding Reyes, SANIBLAKAS
Olola Olib, Task Force Bases Clean-up
Marie Marciano, SALIKA
Nico Rabanillo, Luksong Tinik Mountaineering Society
Tyrone Beyer, Center for Cordillera People's Concerns
Dr. Rowena Boquiren
Dr. Aloyssius Baes
Milagros Serrana, Miriam College Science Department
Lorenzo Cordova, Mangungubat
Mr. Tecson Lim
Roger Birosel, Earth Savers Movement