Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) hailed the filing of a Petition for Writ of Kalikasan and Continuing Mandamus that asks the Supreme Court to declare reclamation permits and seabed quarry permits in Manila Bay as “null and void”.

“We laud the petitioners, led by the fisherfolk PAMALAKAYA and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (KPNE) for filing this case that seeks to hold the DENR and the PRA accountable for approving permits that have resulted in declining fish catch and environmental damages in Manila Bay areas,” said Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator.

The petition states that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued at least ten (10) seabed quarry permits for utilization of marine sediment in Manila Bay as construction materials for various reclamation projects, while the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) approved 13 of 25 applications for reclamation within Manila Bay.

According to the petition, DENR and PRA approved the projects despite the “cumulative, long-term, irreparable and irreversible adverse impacts to the environment, to the livelihood of 300,000 fisherfolks, and to the entire country in terms of food security and patrimony.”

“We fully support this petition and hope for a favorable ruling by the Supreme Court. A just decision is needed to protect the communities and the country from the ill effects of seabed mining,” said Garganera.