Civic groups blast Shell’s ‘farcical’ meet

Protect VIP, a coalition of groups that aim to preserve the environment and communities in the Verde Island Passage, said the hearing did not follow the rules set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Participants in a public hearing on a proposed P3.5 billion liquefied natural gas import terminal in Tabangao, Batangas owned by Shell Energy Philippines Inc. denounced what they termed as the farcical proceedings.

They walked out in protest of the project’s public hearing on Friday due to the “anomalous” nature of the event.

Protect VIP, a coalition of groups that aim to preserve the environment and communities in the Verde Island Passage, said the hearing did not follow the rules set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in its DENR Administrative Order 2017-15.

“Shell has consistently ignored the clear guidelines set by DAO 2017-15 in terms of engaging stakeholders affected by its project. The law defines the minimum stakeholders — the local government unit, national government agencies, non-governmental organizations, people’s organizations, local businesses, indigenous peoples, and local institutions such as the Church, schools, and hospitals,” the group said.

Participants selective

“In its IEC, or information and education campaign, Shell only invited one parish which was not even in the barangay that would be most affected and only two fishermen’s groups. They did not inform the residents of Brgy. Libjo and Malitam, who would be gravely affected by their import terminal,” Fr. Edu Gariguez, Convenor of Protect VIP, said.

The walkout was led by members of the Bukluran ng Mangingisda ng Batangas, a member organization of Protect VIP, and other groups. The Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development, a sustainability think-tank that provides legal assistance for the group, stayed on to monitor the proceedings.

Gariguez said that the defective conduct of the IEC and the public hearing is indicative of Shell’s awareness of the public response to their project.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PROTECT VIP REPRESENTATIVES of affected communities and civic groups raise concern over the Shell gas project during a public hearing which they called farcical.