IBP, Chel Diokno ask SC to allow withdrawal of petition for writ of kalikasan

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno have asked the Supreme Court to grant their motion to withdraw the petition for a writ of kalikasan they filed in behalf of several  fishermen.

The petition was filed against national government agencies over their supposed failure to protect the West Philippine Sea against the illegal fishing and harvesting of marine resources by the Chinese.

The fishermen in the petition, however, are no longer interested to sue.

In a nine-page draft of compliance with motion, the IBP and Diokno said that three petitioners from Zambales namely Wilfredo Labanelo, Rolando Labandelo and Nilo Labrador have already executed letters addressed to their counsels requesting the withdrawal of the instant petition.

Thirty-seven fishers from Palawan have also done the same.

The lawyers have also failed to reach the two remaining petitioners identified as San Belidan and Rowel Ejona.

“As such, all the remaining petitioners from Palawan  who signed the Verification and Certification of Forum Shopping, except for two, have executed a letter asking for the withdrawal of the instant Petition," the lawyers said in the motion.

"Considering that all but two fishermen petitioners have categorically expressed their desire to withdraw the instant petition, petitioners move that the instant petition be withdrawn,” they added.

Had the petitioners went on with the petition and the Supreme Court granted the writ, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine National Police Maritime Group, and the Department of Justice would be compelled to implement measures to protect the Panatag and Ayungin shoals, and the Panganiban Reef in the West Philippines Sea.

The Panatag shoal is a traditional fishing ground, but the Ayungin Shoal and Panganiban reef are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone based on the July 2016 Hague-based UN Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling.

The ruling rejected China's massive claim over the entire South China Sea and declared the Spratly Islands, as well as the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank, all within the Philippines' EEZ. —NB, GMA News