ANGELES CITY – ‘Scolding the owners is not the solution to the pollution problem caused by hog famrs in Porac. Taking them to court is.”
Thus said the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM), commenting on the plan of Gov. Lilia “Baby” Pineda to scold prominent hog farm operators in Porac town for allegedly continuously operating without business permits.
Sonny Dobles, environment desk chair of the PGKM, said the people and businesses in Porac and this city have suffered for over 20 years and “scolding the hog raisers is not enough.” The PGKM accused them of spreading foul smell which reportedly cause deadly diseases and inconvenience to businesses.
He added that the PGKM and the Kilusan Kontra Amoy (KKA) had fought the alleged abuses of piggeries based in Barangays Sta. Cruz and Manibaug-Paralaya for over ten years but “nothing happened yet” due to the insincerity of municipal and barangay officials and Environment and Management Bureau (EMB).
Dobles said Pineda should file charges against Porac Mayor Condradito “Carling” De La Cruz and his health officials for defying her order not to issue business permits to the hog farms “until the complaints of the people had been properly addressed.”
“Worse, Mayor Carling is not cooperating by not being transparent. He may say they have not issued permits but how come they are still operating with impunity? said Dobles.
Second District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Dobles said, should join Pineda in filing a separate class suit against Porac officials and the EMB.
Dobles said they will give “final” notices and letters to the Porac municipal government in preparation for the class suits the PGKM and KKA will file against at least 18 prominent piggery owners, Porac local officials and the EMB.
“That’s within 30 days after they received our letters and notices,” said Dobles disclosing the time the cases will be filed under the Writ of Kalikasan.
Dobles also questioned the sincerity of Board Member Nestor Tolentino, chairman of the committee on environment, for failing to call a meeting with the PGKM, Porac hog farm owners and the EMB “within the working week until Friday.”
“We were told that the meeting could be June 21 and I asked if it would push through on that day. Alas, I was told it will not. Aren’t they supposed to inform us ahead?” said Dobles.
Pineda earlier asked Tolentino to call a meeting to address the complaints of the PGKM. It was supposed to be last June 21 or June 22 as earlier scheduled by Tolentino.
Tolentino has not returned questions through SMS txt messages to Punto for his comments.
