Greens slam arrest
of activist due to Facebook post
Press Release
October 22, 2012
MANILA –
The country's largest environmental coalition slammed the recent
arrest of an anti-mining activist in Cagayan province using a Facebook
post as main evidence for a libel suit.
In a statement, the Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy
Environment and Sustainable Economy (Green Convergence) condemned the
arrest of Esperlita Garcia for the facts that she stated in Facebook
about the destructive black sand mining in Gonzaga municipality and
the local authorities' unbecoming behavior in dealing with those who
oppose mining.
"What is the basis of this arrest? Publicizing information is not
libelous and should not be stopped whether it appears in print or
online," said Marie Marciano, vice president of Green Convergence.
"Surely, the Cybercrime Prevention Law does not mean to prevent such
publication. If this Law were the purported basis for her arrest, the
judge who issued the warrant for her arrest should have known that the
Law has not taken effect as the Supreme Court has issued a 120-day
Temporary Restraining Order on it," Marciano added, emphasizing,
"Garcia's arrest is clearly illegal and should not be tolerated by the
Department of Justice nor by any freedom-loving Filipino."
Garcia is president of the Gonzaga Alliance for Environmental
Protection and Preservation (GAEPP), a network-member of the
Federation of Environmental Advocates in Cagayan Province (FEAC) and
of the national alliance pushing for mining policy reforms, the
Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM). Garcia is also a member of the board of
trustees of Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance (SSMNA). Both ATM and
SSMNA are members of Green Convergence.
"In view of climate change, it is criminal to minimize by even an inch
the stretch of land that serves as buffer between human settlements
and the rising sea level," explained Dr. Angelina Galang, environment
professor at Miriam College and President of Green Convergence.
Galang said that it is terrible enough that local officials have been
approving such business ventures which benefit only foreign countries
where our land will be exported. "To arrest a citizen who has been
fighting against this activity and spreading awareness on the harm it
has done is a great disservice to our country," she lamented.
"Green Convergence, therefore, supports Esperlita Garcia in her brave
campaign for our country’s environment and we call on President
Benigno Aquino and the relevant government agencies to stop this
obvious harassment and to correct this great injustice," Galang
concluded.