Stop Persecuting Philippine Environmental Defenders!

April 11, 2008

Dear fellow environmental advocates and partners,

Below is the signature campaign initiated by environmental groups calling to stop the persecution and harassment of environmental defenders in the Philippines . We would like to solicit your support by sending your name, contact details and or name of your organization at kalikasan.pne@gmail.com. Thank you.

In solidarity,

Kalikasan-PNE

Stop Persecuting Philippine Environmental Defenders!

We, concerned environmental advocates, professionals, youth and students, indigenous peoples, Church workers, scientists and technologists, and civil and human rights advocates, express our collective concern at the rising assaults against Philippine environmental defenders.

We are alarmed to note that, under the Arroyo administration, different forms of persecution against environmental defenders are increasing in frequency and severity. We particularly take note of the following:

• The rising incidence of human rights violations happening in relation to the pursuit and implementation of anti-environment and anti-people projects around the Philippines , particularly in relation to large-scale mining. At least 23 of more than 860 victims of extra-judicial killing in the Philippines have been environmental activists. At least 18 of them were involved in community movements against large mining.

• The rising incidence of legal harassments against environmental defenders, in the form of SLAPPs (Strategic Legal Actions Against Participation), or lawsuits used by powerful corporate entities against non-governmental individuals or groups defending issues of marginalized sectors. Recent cases have involved SLAPPs initiated by local partners of foreign mining companies against environmental activists, as recently exemplified by the court cases filed last year by Lafayette Philippines Inc., Rapu-Rapu Phils. Inc. and Rapu-Rapu Minerals, Inc. versus Danilo Ramos and Frances Quimpo of the Centre for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC-Phils), Oxiana Philippines Inc. against 24 indigenous people’s leaders in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, and MTL Philippines Inc. versus the Runruno Landowners Association (RULANAS).

We, the undersigned, strongly condemn these forms of legal and extra-legal persecution and harassment used against defenders of our environment, natural resources, and patrimony. These are violations of human and civil rights that should be countered with the broadest and staunchest opposition by all freedom-loving peoples. We condemn the SLAPP cases filed against the CEC-Phils and other defendants as glaring examples of this continuing assault against environmental defenders.

As an affirmation of our collective support for environmental defenders, we therefore resolve to support the following courses of action:

• To advocate and bring this issue to the attention of the widest range of environmental advocates and concerned citizens possible;
  

• To support efforts towards the filing of comprehensive anti-SLAPP legislation and pass a law decriminalizing libel suit by the Philippine Congress;
  

• To support efforts to document, identify, and investigate human rights violations against environmental defenders, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, harassments, and surveillance.
  

• To contribute to legal defence efforts initiated by environmental defenders in the form of fund and support-raising for the litigation process, and
  

• To stand in defence of human and civil rights and our national patrimony whenever these are challenged.
  

Stop Persecuting Philippine Environmental Defenders!