Villar renews vow to protect oceans, wetlands as valuable resources

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

TO celebrate May as the Month of the Ocean, Sen. Cynthia Villar renewed her commitment to protect oceans and wetlands and preserve their roles in nurturing life and supporting livelihoods.

During the On-the-Spot Poster-Making Contest initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP), Villar underscored the importance of “the conservation, protection, and sustainable management of our country’s coastal and marine resources.”

“It becomes all the more important given that the Philippines is an archipelago endowed with vast coastal and ocean resources, including critical habitats, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, seascapes, and endangered and vulnerable marine flora and fauna, all of which provide both economic and ecological benefits for the present and future generations,” Villar said.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, said while it is important to meet the needs of the growing population and demand for food and resources, “we should do so without neglecting the health of our oceans, which are a rich source of diverse marine life that sustain millions of people.” tect the right to freedom of expression.

“It is a sad reality that our oceans and wetlands are vulnerable. Habitat destruction and climate change have led to a decline in marine bounties and biodiversity. Wetlands, such as the LPPWP, a legislated protected area, are also under threat,” Villar said, adding that the proposed reclamation projects near or within the vicinity of LPPWP would result in the destruction of the park’s ecological functions, which are beneficial to Filipinos.

The briefer said that the UN rapporteur is concerned that domestic law “fails to adequately protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Manila is among the signatories to the said international covenant.

“In particular, the Cybercrime Prevention Act raises serious concerns that it limits the ability of journalists to expose, document and address issues of important public interest, thereby violating the right to receive and impart information,” Khan said, referring to the cybercrime prevention act passed in 2012. It can be recalled that Ressa and former Rappler staff Reynaldo Santos Jr.was convicted on June 15, 2020 by the Manila Regional Trial Court on the cyber libel case filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng.

The case stemmed from an article written by Santos claiming that Keng allegedly lent his sports utility vehicle to then Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Apart from this, the story also cited an intelligence report that said Keng had been under surveillance by the National Security Council for alleged involvement in human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Keng has denied all the allegations.

Ressa and Santos had appealed their conviction before the SC after they were turned down by the Court of Appeals.

Isabel in Calapan City on May 31. He was rushed to the nearest hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Also on May 31, one of the suspects in the shooting was shot dead by the responding authorities.

Earlier, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security announced a P50,000 reward to anyone who can give information that could lead to the arrest of the gunman who remains at large.