Militant groups cry to PNoy:
Prevent massive floodings 

Members of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) here will welcome President Benigno Simeon Aquino III (PNoy) with a street protest in front of the Provincial Capitol building to raise their five major concerns including their opposition to the Jalaur River Muti-purpose Project (JRMP) which will be launched today.

The issues are: the P11.2-billion mega-dam project in Calinog, the unabated oil price increases, the Semirara mine collapse, the hyped economic growth, and the ‘matuwid na daan’ rhetorics of the Aquino administration.

MASSIVE FLOODING

The group lambasted the JRMP project, citing that large dams have been responsible for massive flooding of communities located downstream during heavy rainfall, just like what happened in Luzon.

“We do not want the people of Iloilo province to bear the brunt of this project, whose projected economic benefits are outweighed by the social costs,” said Reylan Vergara, spokesperson of Bayan Panay.

The JRMP, the biggest government project in Western Visayas and partly funded by the Eximbank of Korea, is eyed by the government to prop up the agriculture sector here and pave the way for other allied industries in the region.

Aside from irrigating additional 35,000 hectares of farmlands in Iloilo, JRMP is also expected to provide additional 35,000 cubic meters of bulk water supply per day and six to eight megawatts of power for Iloilo consumers.

OTHER ISSUES

The group also lambasted the continued increase in petroleum products. “Only this month, prices of petroleum products increased four times.”

In line with the recent Semirara mining tragedy in Caluya, Antique, the group urged the government to cancel the environmental compliance certificate and coal mining operation permit of the Semirara Mining Corporation.

“We value more the lives of the mine workers who are the ones creating wealth for the business owners of Semirara Mining Corporation. Worse, the landslide continues and the corporation appears to worry more on their profit loss rather than the safety of the workers,” said Vergara in a statement.

As the May 2013 elections near, the group also lamented that Aquino’s ‘tamang-daan’ remains blurry and the “much-hyped economic growth of the country is not yet felt by ordinary Filipinos.”

GRAND RALLIES

Meanwhile, Aquino will also lead Team PNoy’s 12 senators and local bets in political rallies in Dumangas and Pavia after the JRMP groundbreaking.

Gov. Arthur Defensor, Sr confirmed that Aquino and Ilonggo Senator Franklin Drilon will be at the Dumangas covered gym along with Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel, Loren Legarda, Ma. Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal-Valade, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Antonio Trillanes IV and Cynthia Villar.

Aquino will also endorse Defensor, aspiring vice governor Raul Tupas and the congressman, board members, mayors and Sanggguniang Bayan (SB) contenders under the Liberal Party in the Fourth and Fifth District.

The LP’s line-up for the Fourth District includes: former Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. for congressman; and Rommel Conte of San Enrique and Mitch Monfort Bautista of Dumangas for board members.

In the Fifth District, they are: Tupas’s eldest son Niel Jr. for congressman; and incumbent Board Member Nielo Tupas and Tessie Villanueva of Batad for board members.

The governor said the team will proceed to Pavia for another grand rally where the President will endorse the party’s candidates in the First, Second and Third Districts.

The other candidates for congressmen are: Vice Gov. Richard Garin, First District; Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta, Second District; and the governor’s son, Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr, Third District.

The other candidates for board members are: Dennis Valencia of Tigbauan and San Joaquin Mayor Nimfa Garin, First District; incumbent BMs June Mondejar and Demetrio Sonza, Second District; and incumbent BMs Licurgo Tirador and Emmanuel Gallar, Third District.

Defensor also expressed confidence on the support of 23 mayors out of the province’s 43 towns, including the component city of Passi.

NOT IMPRESSIVE

On the other hand, the grand political sorties do not impress Fifth District Board Member Jett Rojas who is eyeing a congressional post under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party.

Rojas said the administration’s political gimmick shows they are alarmed with the status of their candidates in the province.

“Based on several ratings, our team is stronger and we are very confident in winning this election,” he said.*