THE CONTROVERSIAL Samal Island-Davao City Connector project, subject of the Supreme Court-issued writ of kalikasan, is being deliberately obstructed by a “few elitist” individuals funded by oligarchs, the tourist island’s former mayor asserted.
Davao del Norte provincial board member Al David Uy made the direct accusation during an interview with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, July 8, on the sidelines of the Davao Light Digital substation and warehouse/stockyard facilities inauguration in Tagum City.
“We all know who is funding that group. We all know these people,” Uy stated emphatically. “It’s purely a business interest, that’s all I can say.”
To illustrate his point, Uy recounted personal experiences with what he described as a disregard for public sentiment in the name of development.
He recalled his time as an Ateneo community member 35 years ago, where, as high school graduates, they were asked to plant acacia trees behind the Ateneo High School in Matina Campus.
“Before, it was an open space; now there are many buildings. They made us plant trees there, acacia trees, then fast forward, they told us, ‘We will cut down the trees you planted because we will build a building.’ There was no social media at that time. We pleaded, we made petitions, and a signature campaign to not cut down the trees we planted, but they cut them down anyway. It was our memorial tree. But they cut it down in the name of progress, to build buildings,” Uy narrated.
He further cited the demolition of an old wooden building within Ateneo despite pleas for its preservation.
“So, I think what these people are doing is very elitist at the expense of millions of individuals who truly want progress, everyone, not just the poor, because this bridge will really help,” Uy asserted. “Unfortunately, a few elitists being funded by oligarchs are making our lives in Samal and Davao miserable, so hopefully, they will have a conscience.”
As of reporting, there has been no immediate response from the individuals or groups implicated by Uy’s accusations.
The Supreme Court En Banc, during its session on July 1, 2025, issued the writ of kalikasan in response to a petition filed by Carmela Marie Santos, Mark Peñalver, and the Sustainable Davao Movement. The petitioners argue that the bridge project will cause “actual, serious, and irreversible damage” to critical marine ecosystems, specifically coral reefs in Paradise Reef, Samal Island, and the Hizon Marine Protected Area in Davao City.
A writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy under Philippine law that protects one’s right to a healthy environment, as outlined in Section 16, Article II of the Philippine Constitution, which states that the “state shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.
