Capas mayor, other execs walk out of landfill dialogue

TARLAC CITY — Calling the "public consultations" on the controversial multimillion-dollar, 100-hectare landfill project of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) a moro-moro, the mayor of Capas and other local officials walked out of a dialogue at the provincial capitol’s session hall here yesterday morning.

Shortly after Mayor Rey Catacutan’s group stormed out of the capitol building, thousands of anti-landfill protesters broke through the barricades of anti-riot policemen which had held them at bay at the nearby Maria Cristina Park.

Nobody was hurt in the ensuing fray. The rallyists — mostly priests, seminarians, teachers and students of Catholic-owned schools — chanted "No to landfill!" in front of the capitol building. The policemen, armed with shields and sticks, however, prevented them from entering the session hall.

Catacutan and his sympathizers walked out after Vice Gov. Marcelino Aganon Jr., who was presiding over the dialogue, prevented the Capas mayor from airing his views against the landfill project.

After calling for a five-minute recess, Gov. Jose Yap Sr., who was seated beside Aganon, ordered the vice governor to resume the dialogue.

Outside the capitol, the rallyists chanted "Ibasura si Aganon! Ibasura ang CDC! Ibasura ang DENR!"

Catacutan claimed that the dialogue was "scripted," adding that those whom Aganon allowed to speak were CDC president Emmanuel Angeles, CDC environmental management head Red Fuentes, and Nor—malyn Claudio, Central Luzon director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Among those who joined Catacutan in the walkout were provincial board members Alvin Belarmino and Eric Quizon.

"They gave the pro-landfill side unlimited time in beating around the bush on the supposed benefits of this environmentally destructive project," Catacutan said.

He added: "This was supposed to be a dialogue, but why impose on the anti-landfill side an unfavorable process in airing their views?"

As a matter of procedure, Aganon asked that comments and questions addressed to the CDC officials be in written form and read by the moderator.

Speaking before the rallyists using a megaphone, Catacutan accused the CDC and the DENR of "lying through their teeth" when the heads of both agencies claimed that officials of Barangay Kalangitan in Capas, where the landfill is being eyed to be constructed, and leaders of a supposed peasant group called Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Kalangitan signed manifestos expressing their support for the project.

Antonio Sumilao, Kalangitan chairman, said his barangay council is vehemently opposed to the proposed landfill. Catacutan said the pro-landfill farmers’ group is non-existent.