GLACC team visits Negros today
BACOLOD CITY -- Atty. Antonio Oposa, the brain behind Global Legal Action Against Climate Change (GLACC) and an acclaimed environmental lawyer, will be visiting Negros Occidental today together with the GLACC International team and the Ombudsman staff.
They will assist the GLACC Negros Legal Team in conducting an environmental compliance audit and preparation of a formal report to be submitted to the Office of the President to provide information on the level of compliance with EO 774.
The GLACC team is composed of a group of lawyers, youth and scientists who are pushing for urgent and collective climate change response through Science and Law
The GLACC Negros Legal Team is composed of four lawyers: Atty. Christie D. Espinosa, Atty. Jinky C. Zaragosa, Atty. Sharina Marie U. Lopingco and Atty. Sarah Jane P. Dumancas with Marina Prize H. Zayco as Secretariat.
Recently, 32 letter-petitions addressed to all city and municipal mayors all over Negros Occidental, except for the City of Bacolod.
It was personally served through mail on June 5, 2009.
The letter-petition is a request for compliance by the Local Government Units (LGUs) with the Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003) and Executive Order No. 774, which requires all LGUs to reach 50% compliance of said RA 9003 within six(6) months from January 2008, which is long overdue.
The LGUs concerned are given 10 days from receipt of the letter-petition to reply and report their actions taken and even to provide GLACC with the names and addresses of public officials and private citizens who fail or refuse to cooperate with their campaign to implement the solid waste management law.
GLACC is ready to take legal actions against violators.
The sending of letter-petitions is part of the synchronized move for inter-generational eco-revolution by the various chapters of GLACC throughout the Philippines and Brazil.
This is to petition their respective leaders to seriously address the clear, present and ongoing impacts of climate change and global heating. The petitions will range from simple letter petitions to local and national public officials, to administrative and legislative action, all the way to taking judicial action, which may take the form of simple individual actions or collective actions.
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that on Tuesday the team will meet with the 61 barangay leaders to discuss their efforts on solid waste management.