Instead of mud slinging, let's save the Earth - Bayan Muna
On the eve of worldwide Earth Day celebrations, leading party list Bayan Muna called on candidates for the 2010 elections to "stop the mud slinging frenzy and instead discuss and debate on substantial issues most especially how to protect and rehabilitate the environment."
During yesterday's launch of the "2010 People's Electoral Agenda for the Environment" drafted by several environmental groups under the EnviVote 2010 Alliance, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said it was disheartening that environmental issues have taken a back seat to political intrigues and personal attacks among politicians.
"We call on all candidates to stop throwing mud at each other and instead debate on how best to preserve the Earth," he said.
Casiño said his party is adopting "in whole, word for word, the 'People's Agenda for the Environment'.
The said environment platform includes:
1. social justice programs including genuine agricultural reform which aims “to stem upland migration to our fragile ecosystem, as well as urban migration to congested cities, by providing food and livelihood opportunities to our growing rural population;”
2. an independent and self-reliant economy, which aims to capitalize on the country's resources as means for production, “to develop native agricultural varieties and indigenous agricultural practices in attempting to break away from the dependence on and control of foreign corporations;”
3. programs for national progress and industrialization, aims to utilize the country’s geothermal, wind, solar, and hydro which is enough to supply electricity instead of relying on fossil fuels and foreign corporations for the energy needs;
4. a genuine program to protect and rehabilitate the environment, calls for responsibility and liability to extractive industries and private corporations for the management and of their toxic and industrial wastes, and other activities that pose threats to health and safety must be addressed;
5. programs for peace and justice, addresses the repressive legal tactics of corporations, such as filing of SLAPPS, also, it addresses the entry of weapons of mass destruction in the country;
6. lastly, towards a clean governance, which seeks to reorient government agencies in implementing laws on the environment and strengthening of its implementations.
“Bayan Muna is one with Envivote Alliance in pursuing its electoral agenda for the environment. We believe that this is an urgent matter and every candidate should carry this and include it in their platform. Issues on the environment should be addressed immediately by the legislature by passing laws that protect the Philippines and its resources. Together with the people, we should act now,” Rep. Teddy Casiño said.###
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