ANGELES CITY – The multi-sectoral advocacy group Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) is asking the Department of Transportation to “give five good reasons“ on why it is realigning the Subic-Clark Railroad Project (SCRP).
On Tuesday, PGKM chair Ruperto Cruz said even without public consultation, the SCRP is being realigned that will be detrimental to ongoing projects and development that are already in place in the area.
In recent letters to Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. and Porac Mayor Jing Capil, the PGKM is calling “for an immediate public consultation on the SCRP realignment citing concerns on the socio-economic dislocation and devastation” of the vast agricultural areas as well as the built-up commercial and housing developments that the realignment traverses up to this city and Clark itself.
“We already have prospective investors in the area because as envisioned, Porac would be the Makati of Pampanga,” he said. “We have five high rise buildings in the area, that is why we need a public hearing that would involve the local government,” he explained.
“They (DOTr) wants to bypass something that is why they are pushing for the realignment,” he added.
Cruz said if the realignment pushes through, the zonal development plan of Porac will be greatly affected. “Obviously, the realignment is just based on a table survey without a thorough study,” he said.
Pinatubo alert
But the most important thing is when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) declared Alert Level 1 for Mt. Pinatubo, he said.
Phivolcs raised the Alert Level for Pinatubo to 1 (on a scale of 0-5) on March 4 noting elevated seismicity with a total of 1,722 earthquakes recorded in two swarms since January 20.
Cruz said it can be recalled that when PNOC conducted geothermal exploration from 1982 to 1986 and deep exploratory drillings and well testing from 1988 to 1990 on Mt. Pinatubo, discouraging results forced the abandonment of the prospects 13 months before the June 12, 1991 eruptions.
The Aetas on Mt. Pinatubo were the first to sound the alarm then saying the exploratory drillings angered their God, Apo Namalyari. Then, Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991and the rest is history, he said.
“I am saying this because 70 percent of the SCRP budget will be used for tunneling,” he claimed. “How do they know that what they are tunneling is not a volcano?” he asked.
“Would (DOTr Secretary Arthur) Tugade be jailed if this happens?”” he asked.
“How will it (SCRP) pay for itself? Who will pay? The people will again be sacrificed.”
“Surely, Tugade and his line-up will have no chance in Region-3 in the coming elections for ignoring the people,” Cruz said.
