Las Piñas Councilor Mark Anthony Santos said the proposed P103.8-billion Las Piñas-Parañaque Coastal Bay Reclamation Project will not affect the Wetland Park’s viability and sustainability.
Santos said Alltech Contractors Inc. assured the public that the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) would not be damaged during the construction and operation of the multi-billion-peso reclamation project. LLPCHEA was renamed Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park.
Alltech Contractors proposed the reclamation project in 2009 involving 381.26 hectares in Las Piñas and 174.88 hectares in Parañaque.
The Supreme Court (SC) upheld the Court of Appeal (CA) decision that dismissed the petition for Writ of Kalikasan filed by a group seeking to stop the planned reclamation project of 635.14 hectares of Manila Bay along the Las Piñas-Parañaque coastline.
The SC, in a 33-page decision penned by Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang, affirmed the decision dated April 26, 2013 and the resolution dated Aug. 14, 2013 of the CA.
Santos said the SC did not give credence to the claim that the issuance of the environmental certificate compliance (ECC) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was marred with irregularities.
The High Court also denied the petitioners’ request for temporary protection order (TEPO), enjoining the government and the project proponent Alltech Contractors from proceeding with the project covering 635 hectares of submerged land.
“Even assuming that the 4.3 hectares of the critical habitat will be utilized, reclamation activities within or alongside a critical habitat is not prohibited under the NIPAS [National Integrated Protected Areas System] and ENIPAS [Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System],” the SC said.
Contrary to petitioners’ claim, the SC said Alltech submitted the proper form of study required for the proposed project.
