SC: No ECC needed for sports dome

DAVAO CITY — The Supreme Court has ruled with finality that the controversial Artica Sports Dome here does not need any environmental clearance certificate (ECC), upholding a lower court decision.

The tribunal instructed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue instead a certificate of non-coverage so construction of the P300-million sports facility could continue.

It remains uncertain though if Mayor Rodrigo Duterte would proceed with the mothballed project, already 75 percent complete, which his predecessor initiated.

Duterte earlier said he had other priorities. "We have no funds for the sports dome and we have other more important problems to attend to," he said.

The High Court said the sports dome is not among the projects classified as environmentally critical or located within environmentally critical areas. — Edith Regalado