Angara using underhanded tactics to get back at critics of ecozone

WE THE Resist Apeco! Defend Aurora Movement strongly urge the Senate to censure Sen. Edgardo Angara for calling Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona of the Prelature of Infanta an “absentee bishop” of Aurora province, and the fisherfolk alliance Pamalakaya as a front organization of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in a vain attempt at discrediting groups opposed to the ecozone project of the Angara dynasty in the province.

At Baler’s 402nd year anniversary celebration last Aug. 19, Angara denounced anti-Apeco (Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority) groups led by Bishop Tirona and Pamalakaya, describing them as outsiders who are not from Aurora province.

Angara also said that the Prelature of Infanta stole the 400-year-old Baler Bell and is hiding a 24-carat-gold tabernacle and other precious items belonging to the Baler church. He also said that the bishop of Aurora should come from the province and not from the Prelature of Infanta which is based in Quezon. He also urged the Roman Catholic Church to replace Tirona with a bishop who is really from Aurora.

Angara assailed both Pamalakaya and Bishop Tirona because of their opposition to Apeco in Aurora province. The senator is moving heaven and earth to keep the Apeco project. He is resorting to Red-bashing and trial by publicity to demolish all legitimate and politically correct opposition to the project. While resorting to dirty propaganda, the Angaras led by the senator, his sister Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo and son Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, have yet to explain how they spent some P2-billion taxpayers’ money allotted for Apeco from 2007 to 2010.

We also learned that the Angaras actually asked for P3 billion more for Apeco’s 2012 budget, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved P332.5 million. However, the Apeco project deserves a zero budget for 2012 and Republic Act 10083 creating Apeco should be repealed by Congress because it violates the 1987 Constitution provision on social justice and Apeco itself violates our national patrimony.

We are appalled that only five of the 11-man Apeco board of directors are working with Representative Angara and Governor Castillo. This makes the decisions of the Apeco board and management dubious and highly questionable and irregular. The five “active” board members do not even constitute the majority. Worse, in the last two years, Representative Angara and Governor Castillo have been the ones running Apeco, an apparent case of conflict of interest.

Given the situation in Apeco, Congress should immediately repeal RA 10083, instead of approving Apeco’s proposed budget for 2012.

—SALVADOR FRANCE,

convener, Resist Apeco!

Defend Aurora Movement;

FERNANDO HICAP,

chair, Pamalakaya,

18-A Mabuhay Street,

Central District,

Quezon City