REP. France Castro (PL, ACT) wants a congressional investigation into a Chinese-led dredging project in Cagayan River, saying a probe should be undertaken even if Malacañang has said the operation ended in 2023.
Castro said the House should initiate public hearings and ensure the participation of fisherfolk, environmental scientists, and civil society groups to protect the affected communities.
“The people of Cagayan deserve answers. They deserve justice. This is a test for Congress — will it act in defense of poor fisherfolk, or will it serve foreign interests?” Castro said.
The Makabayan bloc lawmaker, who is running for senator in the May midterm elections, backed the call of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) for an independent and comprehensive investigation into what it called the “destructive” dredging operations in Cagayan that took place under the Duterte administration.
“We fully support the demand of Pamalakaya for an immediate investigation into the environmental destruction and economic displacement caused by Chinese dredging operations in Cagayan,” Rep. Castro said. “This is not a closed case simply because the operations have ended. The fisherfolk continue to suffer the consequences, and justice demands that those responsible — foreign companies and complicit government officials — be held accountable.”
Castro said Malacañang should not have said that the dredging ended in 2023 “because we should know the extent of its damage to the environment and the livelihood of the fisherfolk.”
“At dapat managot ang mga kumpanyang Tsino na sangkot (The involved Chinese citizens should be held accountable),” she said.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro last week quoted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as saying the private sector that engaged in the dredging stopped the operations in 2023 due to “poor market condition of the dredged materials.”
The statement was a reaction to Pamalakaya’s statement that dredging project, carried out by Chinese companies as a flood control measure, has disrupted marine life and adversely affected the livelihood of local fishers.
Pamalakaya said the operation was falsely labeled as “desiltation project” as in reality, it facilitated the large-scale extraction of sand and minerals, damaging marine ecosystems and reducing fish catch for local fisherfolk.
Former Rep. Antonio Tinio, also of ACT party-list, said the issue is “emblematic of the broader problem of foreign plunder and environmental destruction under neoliberal economic policies.”
“This is a clear example of how foreign corporations are allowed to exploit our natural resources at the expense of Filipino livelihoods and sovereignty,” Tinio said. “There must be full disclosure of all agreements made between the national government and these Chinese firms. We call on Congress to summon former and current officials who facilitated these projects.”
