Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8) — Lawmakers from the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list are calling for a House of Representatives inquiry on the reclamation projects in Manila Bay in light of concerns on their possible social, economic and national security implications.
Representatives Erwin Tulfo, Jocelyn Tulfo, and Edvic Yap filed House Resolution No. 1171 on Tuesday which calls on appropriate committees — including the Committee on National Defense and Security, and the Committee on Ecology — to probe the status of the projects, their impact on the environment, and their compliance with laws.
“The preservation and security of our nation are of paramount importance, and any activity that may impact our national security requires scrutiny,” read the resolution.
The lawmakers added that while the land reclamation “may offer potential economic benefits and development opportunities, it also raises concerns about its environmental impact, such as the alteration of coastal processes, and the possible effects on water quality and marine biodiversity.”
They further noted that the United States Embassy in Manila recently flagged the projects’ ties to a Chinese firm, which it said helped Beijing construct and militarize artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. The embassy also said the company supposedly engages in “fraudulent business practices.”
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Last Friday, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga told reporters her department is studying the possibility of suspending or reducing the reclamation activities in the bay, pending the findings of its cumulative impact assessment.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that all reclamation projects were suspended pending review, except for one, which he did not identify.
“Naka-suspende silang lahat, under review ang lahat ng reclamation. ‘Yung isa lang ang natuloy dahil na-review na,” Marcos said during a situation briefing in Bulacan, without giving specifics.
“Maraming problema. Marami kaming nakita na hindi masyadong magandang patakbo. But anyway, isa pang malaking problema na kailangan ayusin ‘yan…Wala na ngang ano eh, ‘yung Roxas Boulevard wala na ‘yung dagat eh, mawawala ‘yung dagat,” the president added.
[Translation: All reclamation projects are under review. Only one pushed through since the review was already completed. We saw several problems with the way they were handled. But anyway, that’s another major problem that needs to be addressed. The sea has even disappeared from Roxas Boulevard. It’s disappearing.]
