ENVIRONMENTALISTS and militant leaders, who opposed the multi-billion peso coal-fired power plant proposed by Aboitiz, accused Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of having "double standards" to favor the power company.
Dr. Jean Lindo, No to Coal-Davao convenor, said Duterte applied the "precautionary principle" at the time the City Council decided to ban aerial spraying in the city to the detriment of the banana companies operating in the city.
Lindo questioned why Duterte could not apply the same approach when it comes to the issue on the coal-fired power plant.
“The guy (Duterte) knows the concept of precautionary principle, and in fact, this was applied on the issue of aerial spraying in 2008. This time he is not able to invoke this same principle? Ano yon?” Lindo said.
Precautionary principle states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking the action.
This principle allows policy makers to make discretionary decisions in situations where there is the possibility of harm from taking a particular course or making a certain decision when extensive scientific knowledge on the matter is lacking.
The principle implies that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to harm, when scientific investigation has found a plausible risk.
These protections can be relaxed only if further scientific findings emerge that provide sound evidence that no harm will result.
Lindo said Duterte "can come out clean if he invokes precautionary principle and listen to the people's genuine sentiment on the issue of coal."
“Smoking ban, ordinance banning aerial spraying -- they are all about precautionary principle. Why should the coal-fired power plant, which has the most negative impact, be an exception? This will make people curious. He should be able to explain how his stand on coal power is compatible with climate justice and energy justice. He should respond to the people's call for energy audit, renewable energy policy options, etc.,” Lindo said.
“He should open up to renewable energy because he has been criticizing those who are opposed, and making it appear it is our responsibility when it is the bigger responsibility of the state. In all good faith, we presented the alternatives and we have given information, but he always looked the other way," she added.
Militant leader Juland Suazo, meanwhile, called on city officials to make good of their promise to represent the people of Davao.
“To the elected public officials of Davao City, concretize the slogan “Gikan sa masa, para masa,” and not “Gikan kay Aboitiz, para kay Aboitiz ug corporate mining elite,” he posted in the Facebook group “Clean coal is not cool.”
Last week, Duterte hits on the “No to Coal Davao” for allegedly accusing him of influence peddling over councilors who are set to vote whether to allow the operation of a coal-fired power plant in the city or not.
Influence peddling
In his weekly program “Ato ni Bay” on Tuesday, Duterte denied he was influencing the councilors to vote in favor of the coal-fired plant operation.
The vice mayor was accused of influence peddling as he was very vocal in his stand to allow the P44-billion power plant of the Aboitiz to operate in Binugao, Toril.
“There are sectors here na bugok (stupid). They see money everywhere. Kanang mga tawong ingon ana, gahulat na ug kwarta sa Aboitiz (people like those are only waiting money from Aboitiz),” Duterte said.
The vice mayor also expressed irate on the group's alleged accusation that Aboitiz has lobbied money to ensure that the City Council approves their power plant operation.
The vice mayor advised NGO's against coal-fired power plants to present an alternative power source that's better and more feasible than coal-fired so that he could reconsider his stand.
Duterte assured the public that the City Government is doing its best for the majority good. He said that with the pending power crisis and the growing power demand in the city, they find no other alternative but the coal-fired power plant.
Duterte also assured Dabawenyos that members of the City Council will not accept anything from Aboitiz in exchange for their votes.
Lindo, however, denied any of their members accusing vice mayor Duterte of influence peddling.
“We did not accuse him. He accused the NGO of accusing him,” Lindo said. (Ben O. Tesiorna)
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 16, 2011.
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