zAnti-Trees, Anti-Nature, Anti-People Regime: KARATULA - Pampanga's Statement on the planned cutting of trees in Mabalacat City by Kabataan Partylist Central Luzon on Monday, November 19, 2012 at 12:31am ·
Anti-Trees, Anti-Nature, Anti-People Regime Another Massacre? 486 trees, which are fifty years old, along the Old MacArthur Highway, Mabalacat City, have “X” marks on their trunks. These marks are made by DPWH, as a sign that they will cut these trees, because “because many people have died due to falling branches.” according to Antonio Molano, DPWH Central Luzon director. However, there are no official records that support his claims. Ironically, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which should be the department that will defend the environment, is the one who submitted the tree-cutting plan to the Office of the President.

Anti-Trees Not only in Mabalacat, but also in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, where the present government planned to cut 576, which are in the side of the MacArthur Highway, from Brgy. Telebastagan to Brgy. Baliti. Their reason is that, there are many motor accidents, which is caused by the trees, as if the trees are moving and the motorist aren’t. But the real reason is they want to widen the road, to lessen the road traffic. But it was proven in Brgy. Sindalan, that that’s not the solution. Actually, there are alternative roads in Pampanga, which the government can improve, like the one in Mega Dike. Unfortunately, it seems that they don’t consider this. While in Baguio, last April, SM planned to cut 182 Pine Trees. SM stated that “the building expansion shall be sustaining the environment, not only the trees, but the other environment aspects such as air quality and energy efficiency.” They are planning to earth-ball the Pine Trees. However, earth-balling a tree is still not good for the tree, for it will suffer from water stress, according to Dr. Michael Bengwayan, Director of the Cordillera Ecological Cordi Eco-Center Pine Tree. It might suffer from transplant shock. If not for the action by the concerned citizens of Baguio and other Environmental Activist, we might lose these beautiful trees. The Executive Office of the government didn’t take any concrete steps to stop this criminal act.

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Courtesy of Pixel Offensive http://www.facebook.com/PixelOffensive While in the Luzon, there’s large-scale mining, or planned mining in Aurora, Bataan, Bicol, Ilocos Sur, Cordillera, Pampanga, Palawan, Zambales and a lot more. In Visayas, the provinces with mining or planned mining are Bohol, Cebu, Panay, Samar, and other provinces. While in Mindanao, we have Bukidnon, Compostela Valley, Maguindanao, and etc. We mentioned mining because cutting trees is necessary in large-scale mining. It would be acceptable to say that the whole Philippines is suffering from large-scale mining. Anti-Nature Since Noynoy took the Presidential Sit, his nature-related actions, are against nature. Let’s go back to mining. The Palace brags about the Executive Order #79, as if it will protect our environment, but in deep analysis, it is worse than the Mining Act of 1995. According to this EO#79, there would be “No more mining applications”, but Marya Salamat of Bulatlat.com said “It appears like a mining moratorium but it actually does the opposite. Even as the EO temporarily closes the door on new mining entrants, it welcomes, at the same time, hundreds that have approved mining applications before the signing of the Executive Order last July 6.”

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Courtesy of Pixel Offensive http://www.facebook.com/PixelOffensive Aside from this, the US Imperialist was able to drop their toxic waste at Subic, and to prove that they are puppets on a string, the Aquino Government, didn’t condemn the USA. Senator Mirriam Santiago appealed that the Visiting Forces Agreement should be terminated because of this. However, the Palace considered the third-party alibi of US Navy, that they should not be the one to be blamed. These toxic wastes will not only pollute the seawater, but the land and air too.

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Courtesy of Pixel Offensive http://www.facebook.com/PixelOffensive Anti-People Being Anti-Nature is automatically Anti-People. The people rely on Mother Nature in order to live. They need air to breathe, food to eat and water to drink. Aquino’s work proves his anti-people and anti-nature. He neglects our welfare, but considers the needs of the Imperialist United States of America. It is not an issue for him even if the foreign mining companies will destroy nature, what’s important for him is they are happy. His “Kayo ang boss ko” turned to “Kano ang boss ko”, and his “Matuwid na daan” is a straight servant of the foreign superpowers. Noynoying is the greatest action he ever gave to us. Other than saying that the current administration is anti-people because it is anti-nature, numbers will speak, that they are anti-people because of the extra-judicial killings. Leonard Co, Dr. Gerry Ortega, Fr. Pops Tentorio, Willhelm Geertman and most recently Juvy Capion and her sons, were killed because of their environmental advocacies. All in all, there are 127 victims of Extra-Judicial Killings, and none of them have been solved.

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Courtesy of Justice for father pops movement http://www.justiceforfatherpops.org/ Defend the trees! Defend our Mother Nature! Defend our lives! It is about time that we protest, in all means possible, for our voices to be heard. Let us tell the people, how this government exploits our nature and us. We should organize our ranks to ensure that every action is attacking the anti-nature and anti-people policies of the Aquino Administration. And let us mobilize ourselves, in defending our rights to live in a society that is suitable for every life that is here. Paint every tree with a shape of a human. Hang artworks and ribbons in their branches and trunks. Rally in front of every public office to raise our demand for a Social and Environmental Justice!