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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
STRENGTHENINGCAPACITYFORENVIRONMENTALLAWINTHEASIA-PACIFIC:DEVELOPINGENVIRONMENTALLAW
CHAMPIONSCebu,22nd–26thAugust,2016
CaseStudy:OffshoreDrillinginTañonStraitProtectedSeascape
GloriaEstenzoRamosOceanaPhilippines
UniversityofCebuCollegeofLaw*
* On leave
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
PurposeoftheTañonStraitCasestudy• Toexamine:-
Standingtosueinenvironmentalcase-
ApplicaJonofEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentActinrelaJontoprotectedareas
References:ResidentMarineMammalsv.Reyes,G.R.No.180771,April21,2015SupremeCourtRulesofProcedureforEnvironmentalCases
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
TañonStraitProtectedSeascape
One of the country’s major fishing grounds It supports more than
2.1 million people from the 42 surrounding municipalities and
cities in 3 provinces - Cebu, Negros Oriental and Negros
Occidental.
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Facts•
TanonStraitwasdeclaredasaprotectedseascapebyformerPresident
FidelV.Ramos.Itisarichfishinggroundandthemigratorypathwayof14outof29speciesofwhalesanddolphinsinthecountry
•
TheDepartmentofEnergyenteredintoaServiceContractwithJapanPetroleumExploraJonCo.(JAPEX)forthe“exploraJon,development,andproducJonofpetroleumresourcesinablockcoveringapproximately2,850squarekilometersoffshoreintheTañonStrait.”
•
Thefisherfolkopposedtheseismicsurveyanddrillingastheyweredisplacedfromtheirfishinggrounds
• Twostewardsrepresentedthemarinemammalsinthecase.
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Controversy• A.StandingtoSue-Canwhalesanddolphinssue?•
B.EnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)-WastherecomplianceintheEIALaw?•
C.Wastheservicecontractforoffshoredrillingvalid?
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
SupremeCourtRuling
•
StandingtoSue-LiberalapplicaJonoflocusstandiinenvironmentalcases
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TheCourtappliedtheciJzensuitprovisioninthe2010RulesofProceduresforEnvironmentalCasesretroacJveeffect.ItreliedontheCiJzensuitprovisionintheRules“TofurtherencouragetheprotecJonoftheenvironment,theRulesenableliJgantsenforcingenvironmentalrightstofiletheircasesasciJzensuits.ThisprovisionliberalizesstandingforallcasesfiledenforcingenvironmentallawsandcollapsesthetradiJonalruleonpersonalanddirectinterest,ontheprinciplethathumansarestewardsofnature.TheterminologyofthetextreflectsthedoctrinefirstenunciatedinOposav.Factoran,insofarasitreferstominorsandgeneraJonsyetunborn.”
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
CiJzenSuit•
“AlthoughthispeJJonwasfiledin2007,yearsbeforetheeffecJvityoftheRulesofProcedureforEnvironmentalCases,ithasbeenconsistentlyheldthatrulesofprocedure"mayberetroacJvelyappliedtoacJonspendingandundeterminedattheJmeoftheirpassageandwillnotviolateanyrightofapersonwhomayfeelthatheisadverselyaffected,inasmuchasthereisnovestedrightsinrulesofprocedure."
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
SupremeCourtRuling
•
TheCourtreiterateditspronouncementinthelandmarkOposacase(Minorsv.Factoran,G.R.No.101083,July30,1993)
•
ThesuitwasallowedtobebroughtinthenameofgeneraJonsyetunborn"basedontheconceptofintergeneraJonalresponsibilityinsofarastherighttoabalancedandhealthfulecologyisconcerned."
•
“Therighttoabalancedandhealthfulecology,arightthatdoesnotevenneedtobestatedinourConsJtuJonasitisassumedtoexistfromtheincepJonofhumankind,carrieswithitthecorrelaJvedutytorefrainfromimpairingtheenvironment.”
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
EIAProcess
•
“JAPEXonlystartedtosecureanECCpriortothesecondsub-phaseofSC-46,whichrequiredthedrillingofanoilexploraJonwell.ThismeansthatwhentheseismicsurveysweredoneintheTañonStrait,nosuchenvironmentalimpactevaluaRonwasdone.UnlessseismicsurveysarepartofthemanagementplanoftheTañonStrait,suchsurveysweredoneinviolaJonofSecJon12oftheNIPASActandSecJon4ofPresidenJalDecreeNo.1586,whichprovides:PresidenJalProclamaJonofEnvironmentallyCriJcalAreasandProjects.-ThePresidentofthePhilippinesmay,onhisowniniJaJveoruponrecommendaJonoftheNaJonalEnvironmentalProtecJonCouncil,byproclamaJondeclarecertainprojects,undertakingsorareasinthecountryasenvironmentallycriJcal.Noperson,partnershiporcorporaJonshallundertakeoroperateanysuchdeclaredenvironmentallycriJcalprojectorareawithoutfirstsecuringanEnvironmentalComplianceCerJficateissuedbythePresidentorhisdulyauthorizedrepresentaJve…”
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
EIAProcess•
TheCourtheldthattherespondents'subsequentcompliancewiththeEISrequirementforthesecondsub-phaseofSC-46cannotandwillnotcuretheviolaRon.
•
ItalsodeclaredthatrespondentsfailedtocomplywiththerequirementoftheNIPASActthat“AnyexploitaJonanduJlizaJonofenergyresourcesfoundwithinNIPASareasshallbeallowedonlythroughalawpassedbyCongress.”Thus,“noenergyresourceexploitaJonanduJlizaJonmaybedoneinsaidprotectedseascape.”
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©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers
(TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
QUESTIONS• Whatlessonscanbelearnedfromthiscase?•
Giveargumentsinsupportofthe(a)whalesanddolphins;(b)theself-proclaimedguardians;©fisherfolk;(d)thegovernmentand(e)exploraJoncompany
• Doyouagreewiththeruling?
