SC asked to issue writ of kalikasan over defective flood control projects

Several lawyers and environmentalists on Thursday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a writ of kalikasan for a “massive environment cleanup” as the government investigates anomalous flood control projects.

In a 28-page petition, they asked the High Court to direct the government to conduct a massive clean-up of the environment, disclose and locate the master plan for flood control in the country or design one, and to recommend to Congress to codify the National Land Use Plan.

The petitioners also asked the SC to direct the government to prosecute criminal elements that utilized flawed systems to proliferate.

The respondents are the Office of the President, Congress, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Metro Manila Development Authority, River Basin Control Office, all local government units, and all contractors involved in flood control projects.

“The whole country must be rehabilitated, drainage systems de-clogged and retrofitted, rivers, creeks, and canals must be cleaned up of trash and garbage,” the petitioner read.

“Informal settlements in urban centers and the fringes of riverine systems must be demolished and transferred, dredging of heavily silted rivers including canals and creeks must be implemented in order to save the entire country from total destruction,” it added.

Aside from this, the petitioners said that driver deltas must be vacated by informal settlers. 

In an interview, petitioner Ariel Inton said he wants contractors to finish their flood control projects without additional cost to the government.

“I-back job niyo ito. Hindi na natin kailangan pondohan pa, ng pamahalaan, ‘yung ating mga flood control projects… dahil napondohan na ‘yan ng maraming taon,” he said.

(Do a back job for this. We don’t need to fund our flood control projects again… because those have already been funded for many years.)

GMA News Online has asked Malacanang for comment and will publish its response once available.—LDF, GMA Integrated News