GANZAGA,
Cagayan -- The country's largest environmental coalition slammed the recent
arrest of an anti-mining activist in this province using a Facebook post as
main evidence for a libel suit.
In
a statement, the Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and
Sustainable Economy (Green Convergence) condemned the arrest of Esperlita
Garcia for the facts that she stated in Facebook about the destructive black
sand mining in Gonzaga and local authorities' unbecoming behavior in dealing
with those who oppose mining.
"What
is the basis of this arrest? Publicizing information is not libelous and should
not be stopped whether it appears in print or online," said Marie
Marciano, vice president of Green Convergence.
"Surely,
the Cybercrime Prevention Law does not mean to prevent such publication.
If this law were the purported basis for her arrest, the judge who issued
the warrant for her arrest should have known that the law has not taken effect
as the Supreme Court has issued a 120-day Temporary Restraining Order on
it," Marciano added. "Garcia's arrest is clearly illegal and
should not be tolerated by the Department of Justice nor by any freedom-loving
Filipino."
Garcia
is president of the Gonzaga Alliance for Environmental Protection and
Preservation (GAEPP), a network-member of the Federation of Environmental
Advocates in Cagayan Province (FEAC) and of the national alliance pushing for
mining policy reforms, the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM). Garcia is also a member of
the board of trustees of Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance (SSMNA). Both ATM
and SSMNA are members of Green Convergence.
"In
view of climate change, it is criminal to minimize by even an inch the stretch
of land that serves as buffer between human settlements and the rising sea
level," said Dr. Angelina Galang, environment professor at Miriam College
in Manila and president of Green Convergence.
In
Manila, Galang said it is terrible enough that local officials have been
approving such business ventures which benefit only foreign countries where our
land will be exported.
"To
arrest a citizen who has been fighting against this activity and spreading
awareness on the harm it has done is a great disservice to our country. Green
Convergence, supports Esperlita Garcia in her brave campaign for our country’s
environment and we call on President Benigno Aquino and the relevant government
agencies to stop this obvious harassment and to correct this great
injustice," Galang said.
Green
Convergence is an environmental coalition of individuals, organizations and the
following networks: AlyansaTigil Mina (ATM), Network Opposed to GMOs (NO to
GMO), EcoWaste Coalition, Save Sierra Madre Network (SSMN), , Environmental
Education Network of the Philippines (EENP), Justice, Peace, and Integrity of
Creation Commission - Association of Major Religious Superiors of the
Philippines (JPICC-AMRSP), Partnership for Clean Air, Earthday Network of the
Philippines, Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly (YSDA), Civil Society
Counterpart Council for Sustainable Development (CSC-CSD), Philippine
Federation for Environmental Concerns (PFEC), among others.
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