DENR to submit 'accurate, science-based' info to SC on Samal-Davao connector bridge
'In compliance with the Supreme Court's directive, the DENR will submit a verified return within ten (10) calendar days from receipt of the Order. This non-extendible submission will contain accurate, complete, and science-based information necessary to assist the Court in its deliberation,' said DENR Region XI in a statement.
The regional DENR office is one of the respondents in an earlier petition seeking the immediate issuance of a temporary environmental protection order against the SIDC Project, arguing that this will result in irreversible damage to the coral reefs in Paradise Reef and the Hizon Marine Protected Area.
The petitioners also sought a writ of kalikasan for the respondents to permanently cease and desist from the construction.
A writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy under Philippine jurisprudence that protects a person's constitutional right to a balanced and healthy ecology.
But the SC clarified that it is not directing the government to stop the project's construction.
DENR Region XI, meanwhile, assured the public that all projects under its jurisdiction comply fully with the Environmental Impact Statement System and other applicable legal requirements.
'We are fully prepared to cooperate with the judicial proceedings and will provide all relevant technical documents, environmental assessments, and compliance records as may be required. The DENR remains an evidence-based institution committed to promoting development that is both sustainable and environmentally responsible,' it said.
The toll-free, four-lane SIDC spans 4.76 kilometers and will link Davao City at the R. Castillo–Daang Maharlika Junction to the Samal Circumferential Road.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier said that the bridge project is at 38% progress rate.
The SIDC is being funded through Official Development Assistance from China.
The DPWH Unified Project Management Office – Bridges Management Cluster is the project's implementing agency, with China Road and Bridge Corporation as the contractor. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
30 minutes ago
- GMA Network
Diokno files bill on mandatory translation to Filipino of laws
"A worker in Mindanao shouldn't need a lawyer or translator to understand the Labor Code; a mother in Ilocos should be able to read the Anti-VAWC (Violence Against Women and Children) law in her native tongue,' Diokno said. Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno has filed a bill seeking the mandatory translation of Philippine laws to Filipino as well as dialects Bisaya and Ilocano, saying citizens who cannot understand the law due to a language barrier are unfairly put at a disadvantage. Diokno filed his proposal under House Bill 3863, or the Batas sa Sariling Wika Act or Law in Native Language Act. 'How can we expect ordinary citizens to follow the law if it's written in a language they can't understand?" Diokno said. "A worker in Mindanao shouldn't need a lawyer or translator to understand the Labor Code; a mother in Ilocos should be able to read the Anti-VAWC (Violence Against Women and Children) law in her native tongue,' he added. 'Bilang tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao sa loob ng ilang dekada na, karamihan ng mga kliyente natin ay mga ordinaryong mamamayan na hindi bihasa sa Ingles. Dehado na nga sila dahil wala silang pera at kakayahan, mas lalo pa silang dehado dahil hindi nila naintindihan ang batas,' Diokno added. (As a human rights lawyer for decades, most of my clients are ordinary Filipinos who are not well-versed in English. They are already at a disadvantage because they don't have much financial capacity, and they will be in a worse position if they do not understand the law.) Diokno's bill seeks to amend the Revised Administrative Code of 1987 by requiring translations into the three major Philippine languages — Filipino, Bisaya, and Ilokano, which account for the country's four largest ethnolinguistic groups: Tagalog (26%), Bisaya (14.3%), Ilokano (8%), and Cebuano (8%). 'By translating laws with penalties into terms that are easily understandable by ordinary citizens in their local language, we minimize the risk of misunderstanding and misinterpretation,' Diokno pointed out. Likewise, Diokno's bill mandates that all new laws with penal provisions should be translated to the abovementioned languages within 90 days, and all existing laws with penal provisions — including the Revised Penal Code, Labor Code, RA 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act), Anti-VAWC Act, Safe Spaces Act, and the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, among others, should betranslated within five years. The bill tasks the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) as the lead translating authority, while the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) is in charge of publishing the translations in the Official Gazette and making them available online. The Batas sa Sariling Wika bill is co-authored by Diokno's fellow Akbayan party-list lawmakers Percival Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, as well as Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene 'Kaka' Bag-ao. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
8 hours ago
- GMA Network
Bam Aquino: Ninoy's death was result of his love for country
Senator Bam Aquino leads the commemoration of the 42nd death anniversary of his uncle, Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr., in Paranaque City on Thursday, August 21, 2025. Manila's international airport was named after the former senator, considered an icon of Philippine democracy, after he was assassinated in 1983. DANNY PATA Senator Bam Aquino on Thursday called on Filipinos to continue fighting for freedom and justice as he paid tribute to his uncle, late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., on his 42nd death anniversary. In a Facebook post, Bam recalled his memories with Ninoy when the latter was still imprisoned and until he was assassinated at the Manila International Airport—now named in his honor—on August 21, 1983. "Nang pinili niyang umuwi noong 1983, alam niyang mapanganib, alam niyang maaari siyang makulong o mapatay. Pero pinili pa rin niya. Sapagkat para sa kanya, mas mahalaga ang makasama ang sariling bayan kaysa manatili sa Amerika na ligtas at mapayapa," Bam Aquino said. (When he decided to go back to the Philippines in 1983, he knew it was dangerous. He knew he could be imprisoned or killed. But he still chose to go home. Because for him, it is more important to be in his own country than to stay in America where it is safe and peaceful.) "Kaya't ang kanyang pagkamatay ay hindi lang basta dahil sa bala, ito'y bunga ng pinakamalalim na pagmamahal sa bayan. Hanggang ngayon, iyon ang pinakamalaking alaala niya para sa akin. Ang tunay na pamumuno ay nakaugat sa pagmamahal—sa Diyos, sa pamilya, at higit sa lahat, sa bayan," he added. (Ninoy's death was not just because of a bullet, it was the result of his deepest love for the Filipinos. To this day, that is his greatest memory for me. True leadership is rooted in love—for God, for family, and most of all, for the people.) Ninoy Aquino was a staunch critic of late former President Ferdinand Marcos, father of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. The elder Marcos was succeeded by Ninoy's widow, Corazon Aquino, following the EDSA People Power Revolution in February 1986. Bam Aquino on Thursday morning led the wreath-laying ceremony at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 to commemorate the 42nd death anniversary of his uncle. "Kung si Tito Ninoy, sa pinakamadilim na bahagi ng kanyang buhay at ng ating kasaysayan, ay hindi bumitaw sa pag-asa, paano pa tayo ngayon? Sa hirap o ginhawa, sa gulo man o katahimikan, tandaan natin: Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for and worth fighting for. Tuloy ang laban," the incumbent senator said. (If Uncle Ninoy didn't lose hope during the darkest time of his life and our history, what about us now? In times of hardship or comfort, in chaos or silence, let's remember: Yes, the Filipino is worth dying for and worth fighting for. The fight will continue.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
15 hours ago
- GMA Network
Philippine Embassy visits 2 Filipinos in ICE detention
NEW YORK —The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. recently visited two Filipinos held in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities in Kentucky and Georgia. The visits underscore the Philippine government's ongoing efforts to safeguard the welfare and rights of Filipinos abroad, the embassy said in a statement. During the visits, embassy representatives assessed the detainees' well-being, provided consular assistance, and assured them of the government's commitment to protecting their rights and welfare under international norms and U.S. law. 'The Embassy underscores its steadfast commitment to the protection of the rights and well-being of all Filipinos under its jurisdiction, while fully respecting the laws, regulations, and legal processes of the United States,' the Philippine Embassy said. The embassy representatives coordinated closely with U.S. authorities to ensure that the detainees' needs were promptly addressed and that due process was observed. It emphasized that it remains committed to safeguarding the rights and welfare of all Filipinos under its jurisdiction in cooperation with U.S. authorities. These visits reflect the embassy's broader efforts to monitor the welfare of Filipinos who come into contact with the U.S. immigration system and to provide timely consular assistance as needed. Details about the detained individuals, including their identities, charges, or detention conditions, were not disclosed due to privacy protections and ongoing legal processes. The embassy said it will continue to coordinate with U.S. authorities to ensure that the needs of detained Filipinos are addressed while their rights are protected. 'The consular visits enabled embassy representatives to ascertain the condition of the detained nationals, extend appropriate assistance, and reaffirm the Embassy's commitment to protecting their rights and welfare in accordance with the law,' the statement added.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
