Climate Justice Groups Slam Senate's Fast-Tracking of Gas Bills, Threatening of Lives, Livelihood

Pasay City, Philippines – The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), together with other organizations, raised banners against the circus of a public hearing held today, July 18, at the Senate of the Philippines, Pasay City.

Pushing for the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry (PDNGI), the Senate conducted the public hearing of the five gas bills (four from the upper house, and one from the lower house), ironically, without the presence and perspective of the public. As Senator Pia Cayetano sits as the Senate Committee on Energy Chair, and Senator Chiz Escudero as the Senate President, groups such as PMCJ, were taken off the opportunity to participate at the said hearing.

"The Filipino people will not be fooled. The abrupt passing of proposed laws that are pushing for the continued use of toxic and deadly liquified natural gas (LNG) will keep on fueling the people's rage. These sneaky tactics of politicians are pathetic and just passé," PMCJ National Coordinator Ian Rivera said.

The country’s biggest energy companies, such as the Razon-led Prime Energy, Ang-led San Miguel Corporation Global Power, Lopez-led First Gen Corp., Aboitiz Power, and the Ayala- led ACEN Corp., expressed their commitment to the government’s push for developing the Philippine LNG industry. These companies are clearly being favored by the government, over the people’s demand for a clean, affordable, equitable and just energy system, Rivera added.

Senate Bill (SB) No. 152, SB No. 1944, SB No. 1991, SB No. 2247, and House Bill No. 8456, all supporting the PDNGI exudes incongruity with President Bongbong Marcos' Executive Order No. 21 which pushes for the use of renewable energy (RE) and policy and administrative framework for offshore wind development.

Senator Escudero has come under fire for spreading false information about LNG and RE. “It is the Senate, nailing the coffin, for the Gas Law of the Philippines. Under the leadership of Senator Escudero, who ascended to [his post] through a fossil fuel support for his political career, while knowing fully well with all the senators the implications of this law,” Rivera said.

“The science is clear and it stated that the energy efficiency of RE is steadily increasing compared to coal and LNG. Also, the country has the second highest cost of electricity in Asia due to import dependency of fossil fuels. Moreover, negative health impacts of these fossil gas plants are constantly endangering the communities,” PMCJ Senior Energy Officer Larry Pascua stressed.

Residents from Batangas, for example, are suffering from inhaling chemicals given off by LNG power plants, being displaced for the construction of these, and being pulled out of their livelihood.

“Pinapakinggan nila ang sinasabi ng mga malalaking kompanya na nagtatayo ng mga planta sa aming lugar pero bingi sila pagdating sa aming mga nagkakasakit at napipinsala,” said Joseph Vargas from Clean and Healthy Air for All Batangueños (CABATANG).

Despite their petition to the Department of Health, seeking investigation, last January 2023, five barangays in Batangas City continue to suffer from diseases brought by local fossil gas plants. Aside from health impacts, the residents’ means of living are being affected. More recently, large quantities of dead fish were discovered on the shores of Brgy. Delapaz in Batangas, where a nearby fossil gas power plant regularly expels heated water into the sea.

“[This fast-tracking of gas bills] will hasten and drive the construction and development of fossil gas in the country and bind the Filipino electric consumers to dirty, deadly and expensive sources of electricity. It will dampen the ambition of the country's drive to clean affordable renewables and negate all the climate action commitments of the Philippine Government. This is hypocrisy and double faced climate leadership of the government who has just been proclaimed as host of the Loss and Damage fund, yet continues to undermine the survival of the vulnerable countries,” Rivera said.

FOR INQUIRIES

Ella Gacutan

Senior Media and Communications Officer

Philippine Movement for Climate Justice

mediacommunications@climatejustice.ph