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The
three Boholano solons said they were not informed of a House
resolution seeking a congressional inquiry into the environmental
impact of the oil seismic survey and future drilling at the
Bohol-Cebu Strait.
This
was the statement yesterday by representatives Edgar Chatto,
Roberto Cajes and Adam Jala after fishermen's groups intimated
that the three congressmen did not show interest in House
Resolution 212, filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño,
even as it gained
support with six other Visayan congressmen and party list
representatives.
The
3 solons said they were not informed that the resolution was
filed in Congress until last Wednesday, when it came out in
a story of the Chronicle.
In
fact, Casiño, the resolution's principal author, revealed
in an interview that he already apologized to Chatto for having
been not informed on the matter.
Casiño
bared that when the resolution was circulated in the House,
the Boholano congressmen were not available since all three
had separate meetings to attend.
Chatto
pointed out that since the start of the debates regarding
the effects of the seismic oil survey, he was already pushing
for transparency.
"I
welcome and support the formal inquiry on the matter in Congress,"
the first district representative said.
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For
his part, Jala said he will review the resolution once
he gets a copy of it.
Cajes,
on the other hand, said that usually their offices are
informed of resolution or bills to be filed that requires
their support.
However,
Cajes said his office was never notified of such resolution.
He said he will study the resolution, once he receives
a copy of it.
According
to Casiño the resolution was already endorsed
to the committee on the environment and natural resources.
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It
is now up to the committee to conduct hearings regarding the
matter, Casiño said.
House
Resolution 212 was jointly filed by administration congressmen
Eduardo Gullas (Cebu 1st Dist., KAMPI), Benhur Salimbangon
(Cebu 4th Dist., KAMPI), Antonio Cuenco, (Cebu City 2nd Dist.,
LAKAS), Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong, Negros Oriental (1st Dist.,
LAKAS-CMD), George Arnaiz, (Negros Oriental 2nd Dist., NPC),
and Henry Teves (Negros Oriental (3rd Dist., LAKAS) along
militant lawmakers Luzviminda Ilagan and Liza Maza of Gabriela,
Crispin Beltran of Anakpawis and Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna.
The
resolution directs the House committee on natural resources
to immediately probe the effects of offshore mining in the
protected seascapes of the Bohol-Cebu Strait and the Visayan
Sea which is identified as one of the world's richest marine
biodiversity area.
BISHOP'S
CONCERNS
Last
July 17, Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso issued a pastoral
statement regarding the oil exploration project.
The
statement, which was endorsed to then environment and natural
resources Sec. Angelo Reyes raised the issue on lack of consultation
with local officials, communities and concerned groups; the
issuance of a certificate of non-coverage by the DENR on the
oil seismic survey despite the fact that the survey site is
within several marine protected areas; and just compensation
for affected fisherfolks.
This
pastoral statement was answered by Reyes in a letter dated
August 13, a copy of which was provided to the 3 Bohol congressmen.
Reyes
said that consultations regarding the oil seismic survey started
since July 2005.
The
seismic exploration likewise did not cover any marine protected
area and were even undertaken far from it, according to Reyes.
The
former DENR chief likewise informed the prelate that seismic
explorations have been undertaken off Bohol waters since the
1960s.
In
the issue of just compensation, Reyes stated in his letter
to Bishop Medroso that as a result of the seismic survey,
the Department of Energy and Australia based oil explorer
NorAsian Energy Ltd. paid some P229,000 to payao owners in
the towns of Dauis and Loon.
However,
the loss of livelihood claimed by fisherfolks in the affected
areas has yet to be settled until now, according to Reyes.
Oil
and gas drilling activity in the Bohol-Cebu seas cover an
area of 444,000 hectares of marine waters.
This
will be undertaken by Australia based Otto Energy Ltd. which
is now raising some $12-million for this contract after finding
that over 270 million barrels of recoverable oil is available
in the area.
Reports
from Otto Energy's website bared that they were given until
2009 to drill its first oil wells at the Bohol and Cebu seas.
The
oil and gas exploration activities in the Cebu-Bohol Strait
have met strong opposition from small fisherfolk, local government
officials, beach owners and environmental groups who fear
long-term, adverse effects on the lives and livelihood of
the common people in the fishing villages of the area, according
to Casiño.
CHATTO
REITERATES POSITION
First
District Representative Edgar Chatto, chairman of the Tourism
Committee and whose district towns will be largely affected
by the oil exploration, reiterated his position to the Chronicle
of being pro eco-tourism and protective of biodiversity of
the Bohol coastal waters.
Chatto
said that he initiated several letters to the Department of
Energy at the onset of talks to begin the oil seismic survey
in order to relay the various concerns of the constituency
- leading to a multi-sectoral agreement to address the issues
.Chatto likewise sought clarification from the DENR why a
CNC (Certificate of Non-Coverage) was issued without the ECC
(Environmental Clearance Certificate) and EIA to the oil project
and then personally sought in Manila- DOE's order to stop
the seismic survey that went ahead in violation of some multisectoral
agreements.
Rep
Chatto is now ready to seek clarification from the country's
highest Economic Policy Making bodies whether his publicly-defended
position on eco-tourism will dovetail or complement the industrial
goals of Government seeking indigenous sources of fuel energy.
Pressed
by the Chronicle, Chatto explained that his policy clarification
will also include technical confirmation that his PPA-endorsed
Tourist Port in Loon which will be able to dock world-class
tourist luxury- cruise liners will not clash with the physical
emergence of sea oil rigs and barges criss-crossing the Cebu-Bohol
Strait once the actual oil exploration begins.
Queried
about what measures will be done to prevent the "Palawan
Incident" in the Malapaya oil exploration project where
the LGUs there were not compensated properly in violation
of previous agreements, Chatto said he will look closely into
the provisions of the LGU Code once the oil exploration will
actually commence.
However,
it seems the oil contractors (Norasia Energy Ltd Group) has
an open-ended go-signal to begin exploration any time up to
2009 per directive from the DOE.
For
Comments: email to
bingo_dejaresco@boholchronicle.com Or editor@boholchronicle.com
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