Rescuers paddle their boats alongside a flooded road amid heavy rains introduced by Hurricane Gaemi in Manila on July 24, 2024. Relentless rain drenched the northern Philippines on July 24, triggering flooding in Manila and landslides in mountainous areas as Hurricane Gaemi intensified the seasonal monsoon. (Photograph by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Negros Occidental third District Rep. Javi Benitez has urged his colleagues within the Home of Representatives to assist a invoice in search of to make sure local weather accountability, stressing that communities bear the brunt of local weather change although the Philippines contributes little to international air pollution.
In a privilege speech, Benitez stated the proposed Local weather Accountability (CLIMA) Act would make defending the nation’s ecosystem not solely an environmental concern, but additionally a human rights obligation.
“As legislators, I urge all of you to assist the passage of the Local weather Accountability Act. This measure acknowledges that defending the local weather system is just not solely an environmental concern, however a constitutional mandate, a human rights obligation, and an obligation to future generations,” he stated.
“CLIMA establishes enforceable mechanisms for holding polluters accountable, compels carbon majors to contribute their justifiable share, and gives susceptible communities with entry to redress, reparations, and resilience sources. In doing so, it ensures that our combat in opposition to local weather change is not only aspirational, however legally grounded, clear, and simply,” he added.
In keeping with Benitez, the Philippines contributes solely lower than 0.5 p.c of worldwide greenhouse fuel emissions however continues to “endure disproportionately” attributable to negligence and corrupt practices.
“As a consultant of my district, and former native official, I stand with the Filipino individuals in demanding fact, accountability, and justice concerning corruption in flood management and different infrastructure initiatives, together with reported collusion between officers and contractors,” he stated.
“We’re asking our communities to innovate, to stay resilient,” he added. “Local weather justice is subsequently social justice. It’s our responsibility to make sure that the poorest and most susceptible, who are suffering the best losses whereas contributing the least to the disaster, usually are not left behind.”
Throughout this 12 months’s moist season, a number of cyclones battered completely different elements of the nation, triggering floods and landslides of higher magnitude than in earlier years.
What caught many abruptly, nevertheless, was the persistence of floods and landslides even with out a tropical cyclone contained in the Philippine space of accountability.
READ: Over 41,000 evacuated in Camanava, QC amid ‘habagat’ onslaught – DILG
Over the weekend, widespread flooding hit many elements of Quezon Metropolis, together with elevated areas not usually liable to flooding.
An area authorities evaluation cited outdated drainage programs as a contributing issue, whereas the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Companies Administration reported that the Science Backyard station in Quezon Metropolis acquired about 141 millimeters of rain — equal to roughly seven days’ value of rainfall.
READ: Deluge in Quezon Metropolis: 7 days of rainfall in an hour
Benitez stated the latest crackdown on corruption, concentrating on flood management initiatives that have been substandard or nonexistent, will assist deal with the problem.
“I welcome President [Ferdinand] Marcos Jr.’s order to analyze P350 billion in flood management initiatives and, with like-minded colleagues, demand from all involved companies full disclosure of all venture particulars, together with names of contractors and politicians answerable for these multi-billion peso initiatives funded by our taxpayers,” he stated.
Nevertheless, the lawmaker stated, concentrating on corrupt actions alone won’t suffice; the nation additionally wants to carry main polluters accountable.
“I’ve personally signed the decision for transparency initiated by a number of native chief executives, as I strongly imagine in good governance, transparency, and accountability. And whereas I absolutely assist the investigation into the corruption related to flood management initiatives, I urge this honorable physique to think about broader points,” he stated.
“Corruption in flood-control initiatives and the a long time of environmental destruction by fossil gas firms usually are not separate issues however interconnected injustices that trigger the struggling of Filipinos. Stolen public funds go away our communities uncovered to floods, whereas fossil gas firms proceed to revenue because the local weather disaster worsens,” he added.
Throughout the nineteenth Congress, lawmakers filed Home Invoice No. 9609, in search of to ascertain a authorized framework for holding events accountable for local weather change–induced catastrophes.
In keeping with pro-environment group Greenpeace, the invoice is the primary of its variety on the planet, because it “opens up the likelihood for company local weather accountability to be acknowledged by a state, and gives measures to name for reparations mechanisms.”
In July 2025, Greenpeace urged Marcos to make the most important contributors to the local weather disaster “pay their justifiable share.”
As a part of their protest, the group positioned inventive banners and a cardboard cutout of Marcos behind a podium in a flooded neighborhood in Cainta, Rizal.
READ: Environmental group urges Marcos: Make local weather polluters pay
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The protest adopted extreme flooding throughout Metro Manila and plenty of elements of Luzon and the Visayas, brought on by heavy rainfall from Extreme Tropical Storm Crising, the southwest monsoon, and a low-pressure space./mcm
