Indigenous folk given 25 years to stay in lands: P-Noy orders review of Aurora eco-zone project

President Aquino on Tuesday gave farmers, fisherfolks and indigenous people affected by the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport  Authority another 25 years to remain in their lands.

The decision was reached during a heated dialog held at the Ateneo de Manila University.

The President also ordered a review of the contested project even as he asked affected residents to “keep an open mind” on the possible benefits of APECO to the province.

Mr. Aquino tasked the National Economic and Development Authority give him an initial assessment within the week.

“I want to know was there really no consultation, and was there no concurrence on the part of the affected residents,” he said.

He said the Commission on Audit can also look into how the budget for the project was used.

“If we find irregularities, we will hold accountable people who are responsible for this,” he said.

But the President was visibly frustrated with the repeated and insistent statements from the Casiguran-based residents who kept on harping on the need to stop the release of funds for the project.

“Wait a minute. How many times do I have to tell you? In one week there will be an assessment to be fair to all parties concerned.

Because we need to have basis for our decisions. The assessment will tell us whether to stop or push through with the project,” he said.

“You keep coming back and repeat the same questions. Finish what you have (to say). Are you done? I don’t want to repeat everything,” the President told a coordinator at one point.

Earlier, Senator Sergio Osmeña III said the government wasted public funds in spending more than P2 billion for the 12,000-hectare economic zone, which he noted was located on the typhoon belt.

“The people’s money have been wasted under the pretense of a project that has absolutely no chance of succeeding in the next 50 years,” he said.

The lawmaker said APECO is not even linked to the Luzon power grid.