ON THE first day of the term of the members of both the Lower and Upper Chambers of Congress, the majority of the legislators disclosed their proposed bills for the lawmakers to consider.
In Davao City, many of the people are expecting that the members of the new Sangguniang Panlungsod will do the same. That is, they reveal to the public the ordinances they want to propose within their 3-year term.
Unfortunately, it is already more than two weeks, and not a single Davao City Council member has made such a disclosure. This could only mean one thing – that they start their term without knowing what situation in Davao City needs to be guided with measures that will provide the direction to address the same or attain the people’s aspirations.
Say, on the current environmental situation in the city, who among the councilors has in mind the measure that will deter the ecological degradation? Another is on dispersing the urbanization of the city. What ordinance or amendment to existing zoning law will create new outward-bound economic enclaves without damaging the contours of the immediate uplands that will endanger the low grounds?
The councilors who newly assumed office, we believe, could have been aided in their crafting of proposed ordinances by their observations and experiences during the very short time that they moved around the different barangays within their respective districts during the campaign period.
For certain, they might have already interacted with barangay residents, especially those in the remote areas. And they sure were given details of the situation of each area and of the conditions of the residents thereat.
With their having rubbed elbows with their constituents, we strongly believe that they would be able to craft ideas for more responsive ordinances in the city.
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The other day, acting Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte issued an official statement on the issuance by the Supreme Court (SC) of a Writ of Kalikasan on the ongoing construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge Project.
“No one hopes the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project to morph into a skeleton of a “ ‘troubled’ bridge over a possibly equally ‘troubled’ water.”
Clearly Mayor Baste wanted it known that he respects the order of the Supreme Court. But he also reiterated that the P19 billion bridge project is intended for the faster development of the island City and its people, as well as for the benefit of every Davaoeno who sees the socio-economic growth of Samal as the growth of the entire Davao Region and Mindanao as well.
We stand four squares behind Mayor Baste’s position on the Writ of Kalikasan, even as we acknowledge the right of those who feel adversely affected by the bridge project to seek redress of their grievances within the ambit of the law.
But again, what about the right of the local governments to bring development to their respective jurisdiction and for the constituents to enjoy the benefits of such development?
And we believe as well that the resolution of controverted issues on the bridge construction, specifically its alignment, could have been reached had not the parties involved closed the avenues for peaceful dialogues.
It is apparent, however, that if the dialogues ever happened, not one of the parties cared to give concessions; that what they have in their minds are only their own or their sectors’ interest, and that of the community and its people are simply consequential.
Now comes the Writ of Kalikasan that has been sought by the affected businessmen, some home and landowners, and the environmentalists whose cause appears unyielding.
So, what is going to come next? Answers to the issues presented in the Petition? Counter comments from the respondents, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the local governments of Samal and Davao City?
While the writ does not mean immediate cessation of work on the bridge construction, clearly it will bring anguish to the people of Samal and those residents in the mainland who had been suffering delays in their trip to either place for business and economic activities or plain relaxation ..
And what about the government that is implementing the bridge project? We have no doubt that the Writ of Kalikasan and the processes of resolving the same will take some time. And what if the Supreme Court favors the petitioners and orders the stoppage of the construction, or has the alignment transferred to another route?
Such development, if at all it happens, will definitely have a serious implication on the realization of the project. And even if the SC rules in favor of the government, the ruling takes some time, it is easy to imagine the impact of the delay in terms of the project cost.
All of these should have been thought of with the welfare of the majority of the people in mind.
Of course, all these are already “water under the bridge.” The people of Samal Island can only wish that the Supreme Court will resolve the issues petitioned in the Writ of Kalikasan the soonest possible time. No one hopes the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project to morph into a skeleton of a “ ‘troubled’ bridge over a possibly equally ‘troubled’ water.”
