by Environment and Natural Resources Advocates for GMA’s Expulsion

About 50 environmental activists pedaled abreast of cyclists through the controversial Macapagal Boulevard to demonstrate their call for PGMA to step down. The Sunday bikathon was dubbed as “Pidalan sa Macapagal Highway: Free the Philippines from Corruption, Pollution, and from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”

Air pollution

Trixie Concepcion, a convenor of Environment and Natural Resources Advocates for GMA’s Expulsion (ENRAGED!) said the group would like to draw attention to air pollution and the horrible pollution that is Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo.

ENRAGED! said that air pollution in the Philippines especially in Metro Manila deteriorated under GMA’s watch. It cited studies conducted by Synovate and the World Bank revealing that 98% of Metro Manila residents are affected by air pollution. The impact of air pollution included premature death of about 2,000 people and 9,000 cases of chronic bronchitis not to mention the economic cost reported to be at US$430 million per year.

“This is only one manifestation of how GMA failed remarkably in the aspect of environmental protection and natural resource management,” Concepcion said.

“We are for a clean and livable country and we cannot achieve this if we have a President who is not only accused of plundering and polluting our environment but also of cheating and corruption.”

Political Pollution

Another purpose of the bikathon was to expose the “political pollution that PGMA has caused on our country owing to her administration and family’s involvement in corrupt and fraudulent activities” according to Fr. Al Albor, Secretary General of Brigadang Berde.

“PGMA and her minions brazenly demonstrated their proclivity to drag the country into dirty and dubious dealings such as the KEPCO coal power plants in Visayas, the power plant contract with IMPSA and the Php700 million-overpriced portion of the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, not to mention the illegally acquired funds in the multi-million ‘Jose Pidal’ bank accounts.”

Clemente Bautista of Kalikasan-Peoples’ Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE), a militant environmental organization, also lambasted the government’s recent scandalous secret deal with the US lobby firm Venable LLP.

“That she went as far as commissioning a foreign instrument of deception amid the socio-economic and political crisis just to save her face, advance Charter Change, and facilitate foreign plunder of the country’s patrimony is the height of GMA’s rotten and stinking politics,” Bautista said.

Venable will receive $75,000 a month (P4.2 million) as payment for its services. A one-year contract with the lobby firm will cost the government a staggering P50.4 million. The government will also reimburse expenses for travels and telephone bills the lobby firm incurs.

Wheels of protest

“The bikathon is one way of showing that the people have had enough of dirty air, dirty politics and a dirty administration,” said Bautista.

“The wheels of protests must continue rolling on the streets until PGMA is ousted. Her removal from office will give us a breather from the corruption scandals and pave the way for a fresh government that is pro-people and pro-environment.”

ENRAGED! organized the bikathon together with Kalikasan-PNE and the Cycling Advocates (Cycad).