A YEAR OF DUTERTISMOUNPACKING ITS POLICIES, VISION, AND DIRECTION

#LABAN_BAWI:G O V E R N I N G T H E E N V I R O N M E N T U N D E R A Y E A R O F

D U T E R T I S M O ?

BY

MARY ANN MANAHAN

OVERVIEW

Fragile ‘Frontiers’ in Crises

High economic growth rates in the last five years has garnered the country a new status as the ‘darling of Southeast Asia’

1

Penchant for growth has caused and deepened the roiling ecological crises (has been escalating since the 90s)

2

New Normal: climate vulnerability, have clear impacts to the poor and marginalized (e.g. Yolanda)

3

Captured environmental agenda: control and plunder of resources by big money and government (logging, mining, dirty energy )

4

Inequality and Exclusion

• Forest and upland resources directly support about 30 percent of the population, mainly indigenous and farming communities, who comprise the poorest sectors (Guiang and Castillo, 2005).

• Control of forests and ancestral domains as key issue

Erosion of Peoples’ Rights

• Environment as arenas of social mobilization and struggles

• Philippines as “deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders” (2013-2016), according to Global Witness: campaigning against mining, extractives/coal, and mostly, indigenous peoples

• 144 killed since 2002 (Kalikasan-PNE data)

• Displacement, criminalization, and harassments

Promises and Pronouncements

• Mining: Called for responsible mining after being elected to

office, Duterte told mining companies: “If you cannot do it

right, then get out of mining." (June 22, 2016)

• Climate: On Paris Agreement on Climate Change, “Sabi ko,

‘Kayo gumamit na kayo ng carbon sa pinakamatagal na

panahon. Kami gusto naming maging kagaya sa inyo pero

kapag pinigilan ninyo kami dito kasi ganun lang, eh sabi ko

kalokohan iyan.” (October 31, 2016)

• Environmental reforms in his first 100 days: mining audit,

intensify campaign against illegal logging, Laguna Lake,

energy (energy review, EO on moratorium on coal, just

transition to RE, accessible prices), final closure and rehab

of Carmona Sanitary Landfill, waste-to-energy technology

Diversify livelihood for

resource-based

communities

Pay attention to specific

vulnerability of women,

PWDs, IPs in disasters and evacuation

centers

Climate proofing of

infra, housing, etc., to

build safe & secure

communities

Upholding Mining Act of 1995

Mainstream DRRM and CCA into local devt

plans

Waste-to-energy

Shift to Renewable energy

“Foundations for sustainable

development: The Physical

environment will be characterized

by a balanced and strategic

development of infrastructure, while ensuring

ecological integrity and a

clean and healthy

environment.”

How the Government Values the Environment

• Environmental/ ‘ecological integrity’ crucial for economic growth, which means that conservation is vitally important to capitalism or capitalist expansion (e.g. NGP-plant trees in order to harvest it)

• Contradictions are normal feature of public policy (e.g. energy policy, RE but coal, too)

• Discipline dissent through violence

• Private sector/investors’ role

• The above guides environmental governance

Governing the Environment under Duterte

• Promises and pronouncements not backed up by clear policy agenda and concrete actions.

• His administration has done quite the opposite.

#WalangForever: Captured Mining Agenda

• PDU30 promised to review mining operations w/ documented violations and vowed to suspend cancel permits of those found seriously violating standards

• Appointed Gina Lopez: ordered a mining audit which resulted to cancellation of 23 and suspension of 5 mining projects

• Mining Lobby: Sec. Carlos Dominguez MICC ploy, rejection of Gina Lopez and replacement of Roy Cimatu at the helm of DENR

• Problematic and unclear policies surrounding suspended and cancelled projects

• Taxes from mining: increase taxes and “to reflect the true value the government must secure” but yet to certify any mining fiscal reform bill; TRAIN has taken precedence

• Alternative Minerals Management Bill and other green bills in limbo

• Gains in EITI

#BigayBawi: Climate Paris Agreement

On July 2016: ‘Right to development’• "You are trying to stymie us with an

agreement na ganito lang kayo (that you will stay this way)...That’s stupid. I will not honor that. Sabi niya (He said), you signed. That was not my signature,"

• "Sabi ko (I said), 'You do not do it that way MrAmbassador. You who have reached your apex and along the way spewed a lot of contaminants and emissions and went ahead in destroying the climate, good for you. We are here, we have not reached the age of industrialization. We are going into it,'" said Duterte, narrating his conversation with the envoy.

On March 2017: signed the agreement

• Then DENR Sec. Gina Lopez is said to be instrumental to Duterte’s signing

• But how will the government plan to achieve its ambitious 70% GHG emission by 2030? Its commitment is largely conditioned on external aid and investments bank rolling its mitigation efforts, which are pegged at US$ 12.5 billion.

Renewable Energy?

#Not

• In the PDP, it maintains that RE will be the focus (similar to Aquino’s PDP). Duterte has committed to continue with coal and revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

“If we want to industrialize our country because we were left behind by so many generations, you have to keep up with developments and... right now is to use coal, cheap, it’s available although it is maybe deleterious to the whole of the climate of planet Earth.”-Duterte, PNA News, Sept. 2016

“Pay special attention to the safety and security aspects” in the operation of the power plant. $1 billion is earmarked for the power plant’s rehabilitation and will either be undertaken by a government-to-government arrangement or by private corporation selected through “a transparent bidding process” (Lucas, 2017).

• Gerry Arances of CEED: “Lagpak ang score”: no energy review, no just transition to RE, instead focus on coal, no EO on coal moratorium and accessible prices still not fulfilled

• Green and climate justice groups filed a 64-page petition for writ of continuing mandamus with temporary environmental protection before the Supreme Court

#Consisent on Waste-to-Energy

• During his first SONA, PDU30 stated, “To have adequate disposal facilities for the Metro Manila Garbage, the final closure and rehabilitation of the Carmona Sanitary Landfill shall be pursued while the adoption of appropriate waste-to-energy facilities will be explored. Marami yan. The technology is coming very fast.”

• The adoption of waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies is central to the DENR’s efforts in tackling the country’s looming garbage problem. Incineration part of the tech

• Criticism of environmental groups that incineration is harmful to the environment (Green Thumb Coalition, EcoWaste Coalition)

#TuloyPaRin: Policies on Forest Protection and Conservation

• Continuation of National Greening Program as key program for forest reforestation and rehabilitation

• REDD+ is still alive and Payment for Ecosystem Services has been proposed in the PDP 2017-2022

• To count the economic values of ecosystems (valuation in the national accounts, local plans (NEDA)

• According to Jaybee Garganera of ATM: “From cautious optimism to strong disappointment”• No significant actions on (i) strengthening free, prior and informed

consent process, (ii)implementation and expansion of no-go zones for mining, (d) moratorium on large-scale mining, (iv) dislocation of IPs due to mining, and e) enactment of ICCA law

#KatutubongPinoy

• Address poverty and vulnerability

• None of strategies in PDP seriously tackle their Right to Self-Determination claims and rights to ancestral domains

• PDP 2017-2022 seen as threat to IPs

• Ambisyon 2040 not their vision

(CULTURE-SENSITIVE GOVERNANCE) Culture-sensitive perspective, gender sensitive and human-rights-based approach to governance

Ensure access cultural resources and live a life free from discrimination and fear

(DELIVERY OF PUBLIC SERVICES)- National ID system will facilitate delivery of public services especially to marginalized groups such as IPs and the poor

(SOCIO-ECONOMIC JUSTICE)- Streamline rules on disposition of land cases (jurisdiction of NCIP)

(Cultural Development) Culture bearers such as IPs are denied or limited in their rightful representation;

Unethical and exploitative extraction of knowledge, skills and practices from Ips

Schools for Living Traditions

#Obosen: Worsening Impunity, EJKs, War on Drugs and Martial Law in Mindanao

• According to ATM: “CSOs and community leaders alarmed over the creeping impunity of killings that have spilled over from suspected drug users and pushers to environmental and human rights advocates. Murder of several IPs remain unsolved under first year of PDU30

• Declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao as real threat to freedom of movement and rights to assemble of individuals, CSOs and communities protesting against extractives and dirty energy

• Global Witness Report (2017) and KALIKASAN-PNE: “17 environmentally-related killings since June 2016, 47% of the cases monitored as mining-related. Suspected state armed forces were accused of being involved in 41% of these cases, and 65% were perpetrated in the island of Mindanao where plunder and militarization is most widespread"

#EconomicWill: Financing Government’s Programs • The DENR has the 9th largest budget

allocation for 2017 at P27.3 billion. It is higher by P5.0 billion from the 2016 budget which was at P22.3 billion. But lower than the promised Php 29 billion in the President’s Budget Message.

• P7.1 billion is for the DENR’s National Greening Program to reforest 183,552 hectares of land and produce 171 million seedlings, of which, P6.9 billion is for forest development, and P131 million, for clonal nurseries

27.3

7.1

0.9446 0.2381 0.1131

37.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DENR- TotalBudget

NGP EcoWaste SolidManagement(DENR-EMB)

Clean AirRegulation

(DENR-EMB)

RenewableEnergy

NationalDisaster Risk

Reduction andManagement

Fund (NDRRMC)

Budget Allocation for Selected Environmental Agencies and Departments, 2017 (in Billion Php)

Source: Author’s rendering; People’s Budget 2017, www.dbm.gov.ph

Conclusion

#SameSame #TuloyAngLaban #DontUS

• All talk, no walk. More of the same, which stems from how the state values the environment

• Agents of plunder and polluters continue to capture the environment and climate agenda. The mining lobby and interests have flexed their muscle and political capital, and have won for the first year of PDU30.

• These are at the expense of peoples’ rights and environment.

• Spaces for engagement: between tactical and strategic

• Ecological crisis will continue to deepen and struggles for peoples’ rights and livelihoods to escalate

Maramingsalamatpoulit sapakikinig!

A YEAR OF DUTERTISMOUNPACKING ITS POLICIES, VISION, AND DIRECTION