Kalikasan Youth

"The scientists, environmentalists, and directly impacted communities have all spoken now, Marcos, Jr. And we charge you guilty of crimes against the Manila Bay communities, endangering their livelihoods, safety, and rights with your complacency to these reclamation projects."

Environmentalists and peasants all welcome the recent ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights - APHR decision to demand a halt on all Manila Bay reclamations.

TRANSPARENCY REPORT

In just 8 hours, we are able to raise this amount for affected communities in Bicol. This will be used to purchase supplies for relief distribution. With your help, we may be able to provide more for other communities affected by typhoon Kristine. Help Bicolanos rebuild by donating.

Bicolanos are requesting the following: food, water, medicine, clothing, cooking utensils, hygiene kits, water containers, tarps, boots, flashlights, mats, blankets, and mosquito nets.

For in-kind donations, drop off point is at Bayan Muna Partylist Blk 25 Lot 34 Gabriela Silang St, New Capitol Estates I, Batasan Hills, Quezon City

Congress urged to pass measure imposing margin-based taxes, royalties for mining firms President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urged Congress to pass the proposed legislation rationalizing the taxation and revenue collection from mining operations in the country.

Statement
Environmental Defenders Congress
22 October 2024

ENVIDEFCON Stands Firm with Agnes Mesina Against Renewed Red-tagging, Harassment!

The Environmental Defenders Congress (ENVIDEFCON) stands firm in our unwavering support for Agnes Mesina, convenor of the Save Cagayan Movement, who is once again facing harassment and persecution. We are proud to say that the Save Cagayan Movement is a member of the ENVIDEFCON coalition.

We vehemently condemn the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and its local counterparts, the RTF-ELCAC and the PTF-ELCAC for their cowardly red-tagging of Agnes Mesina in the Cagayan Valley! They’ve labeled her a so-called "criminal terrorist" and placed a P300,000 bounty on her head, a despicable move meant to legitimize their fabricated terrorism charges. This reckless act endangers not only Agnes but also her fellow human rights defenders and family members. We demand accountability for this blatant assault on justice!

Agnes Mesina is NOT a terrorist; she is an eco-warrior! For nearly 30 years, she has fearlessly fought for Indigenous peoples' rights, environmental justice, and land reform in the Cagayan Valley. As the regional coordinator of Makabayan-Cagayan Valley and the convenor of the Save Cagayan Movement, Agnes has spearheaded relentless campaigns against black sand mining, offshore exploitation, and the destruction of protected areas for agribusiness.

She has been a crucial force in rallying opposition against the Didipio gold mine operated by OceanaGold Corporation, passionately denouncing open-pit mining for its catastrophic impacts: the obliteration of old-growth forests, rampant water pollution, and the displacement of Indigenous communities. Agnes stands firm against the grave human rights violations that have plagued her fight, including the extrajudicial killings of activists like Cheryl Ananayo and Randy Nabayay in December 2012 and the brutal dispersal of the community barricade in 2020.

Agnes's unwavering courage and relentless advocacy have made her a target for powerful interests. As a result, she has faced a barrage of harassment, including:

• August 18, 2023: NTF-ELCAC thugs stormed the homes of the leaders of newly formed farmer groups in Cauayan and Angadanan, Isabela, trying to intimidate them into “surrendering” as supposed affiliates of the New People’s Army. This intimidation came just a day after Agnes and these farmer leaders strategized to launch a campaign for affordable rice to combat the escalating hunger crisis among landless families, fueled by skyrocketing food prices.

• August 19, 2023: A tarpaulin featuring Agnes's photo and name was plastered along the highway in Barangay Pengue Ruyu, Tuguegarao City, branding her a “TERRORISTA” and dangling a P100,000 bounty for anyone who could reveal her whereabouts.

• February 28, 2022: Agnes was illegally arrested based on a warrant for a case that had already been dismissed; she was subsequently released.

• 2020: She was falsely accused of murder in Tagum, Davao del Norte—very far from Cagayan Valley. The Tagum court dismissed the case a year later due to a lack of evidence.

• 2015: Along with fellow activists, she faced three counts of murder charges but was alerted to the impending arrest warrants, allowing her to address the allegations preemptively.

We call for immediate protective measures to ensure the safety of Agnes Mesina, who faces harassment and threats due to her environmental activism. We demand an end to the red-tagging of Agnes and all environmental defenders, recognizing this harmful tactic as a threat to lives, their work, and the Philippine environment. The abolition of the NTF-ELCAC is necessary, as it endangers the environment and undermines democracy by targeting defenders and silencing dissent, thereby enabling destructive projects that harm biodiversity and violate Indigenous rights. An independent investigation into the threats against Agnes and other defenders is crucial, and government agencies, particularly the NTF-ELCAC, must be held accountable for human rights violations. We urge Filipinos to support Agnes and amplify her voice, and call on the international community to raise awareness about her situation and the broader challenges facing environmental defenders in the Philippines.

𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗔 𝟮𝟵!

Hanggang ngayon ay nananatiling walang malinaw na impormasyon sa kalagayan ng 29 na mga Mangyan-Iraya, residente ng Hacienda Almeda, na ilegal na hinuli ngayong araw sa Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.

Higit na nangangailangan ng tulong pinansyal ang mga mga Mangyan-Iraya kabilang ang mga menor de edad na dinakip para sa pagkain, damit, gamot, at serbisyong legal upang agarang makalaya.

Anumang halaga at tulong ay malaking bagay para sa mga kapatid nating katutubo.

Makikilagyan na lamang rin ng note na "Iraya 29" para sa inyong donasyon.

Tropical storm is now badly affecting many parts of the country especially in Luzon. Continuous rains spawned by Kristine inundated a number of communities in Bicol, CALBARZON, MIMAROPA, all in Luzon; Bohol and Cebu in Central Visayas; Negros Occidental in Negros Island Region; Leyte and Samar provinces in Eastern Visayas; and Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao.
Affected communities and families are asking for our help - greatly needing food, water and water containers. clothes, plastic sheets, mats, blankets and medicines. Your support can alleviate the suffering of the affected families whose lives and livelihood are being endangered once more by Tropical Storm Kristine.

In light of this, the Samahang Operasyong Sagip (SOS) and its network partners would like to ask for your assistance in helping affected communities and families.

We are holding a donation drive to prepare and distribute RELIEF PACKS worth P700 per household, inclusive of food items and hygiene kits.

📍For monetary donations, you may extend your help through the following channels:
GCash
C******* JO***E B.
0908-693-5416
Metrobank
SAMAHANG OPERASYONG SAGIP, INC.
636-3-63608747-6
Swift Code: MBTCPHMM
Examiner, Quezon Ave. Branch, Quezon City

Note: For documentation purposes, kindly send your proof of donation to our official social media pages (FB, IG, or X) or email [email protected]

📍For in-kind donations or any inquiries, you may contact or visit the SOS Office:
SAMAHANG OPERASYONG SAGIP, INC.
505 Webjet Bldg., BMA Avenue cor.
Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
0956-225-2017
Any help or donation will be deeply appreciated. ✊❤

Patuloy pa rin ang pananamantala at pandarahas na nararanasan ng mga magbubukid sa kamay ng mga panginoong maylupang nais kamkamin ang kanilang lupang binubungkal.

BASAHIN: tinyurl.com/4ma2jpd9 🔗

PABATID SA PUBLIKO
Pahayag ng Karapatan Southern Tagalog hinggil kay Rowena "Owen" Dasig

Dalawang buwan matapos ang sapilitang pagkawala ni Rowena “Owen” Dasig sa kamay ng LCDJ ay nagagalak kaming ipabatid sa publiko na si Owen ay nasa mabuti nang kalagayan, nakita na ng kaniyang mga kaibigan at nakasalamuha rin ang kaniyang legal team.

Noong Agosto 22, 2024, Ipinagkaloob ng Branch 172 ng Gumaca Regional Trial Court ang demurrer to evidence sa kaso nina Owen at Miguela “Ella” Peniero. Ang nasabing hatol ay nangangahulugan na walang sapat na basehan upang ituloy ang kasong RA 9516 o Illegal Possession of Fi****ms and Explosives na isinampa sa kanila. Labintatlong buwan matapos ang kanilang iligal na pag-aresto, pinalaya si Owen mula sa Lucena City District Jail (LCDJ) nang walang abiso sa kanyang mga legal na tagapayo at mga paralegal. Simula ng araw na iyon ay ang kaniyang sapilitang pagkawala.

Matatandaan na isinagawa ng 2nd Quezon Provincial Mobile Force, kasama ang mga tauhan ng 85th Infantry Battalion at intelligence unit ng 201st Infantry Brigade ang iligal na pag-aresto kina Owen at Ella sa Atimonan, Quezon. Sila ay hinuli habang nagsasagawa sila ng imbestigasyon sa proposed combined cycle gas turbine power project at liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal plant na may masamang epekto sa kalikasan at kalusugan ng mga residente ng Atimonan. Sa panahon ng kanilang pag-aresto, hinalughog ang kanilang bahay na pansamantalang tinitirhan nang walang search warrant, at nagtanim pa ang mga awtoridad ng mga bala at pampasabog bilang ebidensya upang makapagsampa ng gawa-gawang kaso laban sa kanila. Ang lahat ng ito ay bahagi ng mas malawak na plano ng estado upang supilin ang mga nagtatanggol sa kalikasan at karapatang pantao.

Kitang-kita sa danas ni Owen kung paano ginagamit ng estado ang iba't ibang ahensya, tulad ng Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at ang Executive Order No. 70 o “Whole-of-Nation Approach” to counterinsurgency, upang i-terror-tag ang mga kritiko ng gobyerno at ipataw ang mga gawa-gawang kaso. Ngunit, hindi naging sapat ang pagsasawalang-bisa ng kanilang kaso. Ang hatol na ito ng Gumaca Regional Trial Court ay hindi naging hadlang para sa mga elemento ng estado na muling pagtangkaan ang Karapatan ni Owen sa kalayaan.

Nararapat lamang na singilin ang 85th Infantry Batallion, 201st Infantry Brigade, at ang kasangkapan nitong mga kasabwat na LCDJ sa iligal na pag-aresto kina Ella at Owen at ang sapilitang pagkawala ng huli. Huwag nating hayaang magpatuloy ang mga elementong ito ng estado sa kanilang paghuhugas-kamay sa pagpapahirap na dinanas ni Owen at ng kaniyang pamilya at mga kaibigan.

Sa ating pagkahanap kay Owen ay siya ring kagustuhan ni Owen na ipagpatuloy ang laban para sa kalikasan, mga bilanggong pulitikal, at lahat ng biktima ng terrorismo ng estado. Malinaw na hindi pa tapos ang ating laban, at nagpapatuloy ang ating panawagan para sa hustisya at kalayaan.

“Wala namang ibang ninanais ang ating mga magsasaka kundi ang makapagbungkal sa sarili nilang lupa, pero ano ang ginagawa ng estado? Karahasan, intimidasyon [at] red-tagging,” wika ng lider-magbubukid na si Danilo Ramos.

BASAHIN: tinyurl.com/2sahsda3 🌾

LAND DEFENDER ALERT!

The Saul family's agricultural land in Brgy. San Jose, San Miguel, Iloilo, which has been their home and source of livelihood for decades, is now facing a court-ordered takeover by real estate developer Communities Iloilo, Inc. The family is at risk of eviction, with a recent ruling by the 14th Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) granting the developer permission for "forcible entry" and potential demolition of their home.

Communities Iloilo, Inc., allegedly linked to Vista Land, a property company owned by the Villar family—one of the wealthiest in the Philippines—seeks to enforce the eviction. With the Villar family’s net worth reaching $11 billion as of April, the case highlights a stark economic disparity.

The Saul family argues that this is an agrarian issue that should be handled by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) instead of the local court. However, despite their efforts to involve DAR, the agency has not intervened. A certification from DAR could have ensured the case was processed through appropriate agrarian channels and potentially stopped the developer’s plans.

This case is part of a larger pattern of agricultural lands being converted into real estate developments, displacing farmers and undermining food security. The Saul family’s situation mirrors that of many other rural communities whose livelihoods are threatened by this growing trend.

Elmer Forro who joined the picket against authorities forcing the eviction emphasized that the land is irrigated and supplies water to nearby farms, making it unsuitable for conversion into commercial or residential use.

We express serious concern over these land conversions, which harm farmers and weaken the country's agricultural sector. We urge the public to support the Saul family and other affected communities in defending their homes and land rights.