Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo hits Duterte government for exacerbating climate change by lifting mining moratorium. This pronouncement comes as Pope Francis designates May 16 to 24 as “Laudato Si Week” or the 6th anniversary of his encyclical, which backed scientific evidence that human activity was to blame for global warming.
“It does not help that President Rodrigo Duterte removed the moratorium on mining activities in the country”, Bishop Pabillo said. It’s also sad that the military and police side with foreign mining companies instead of the poor and environment defenders.
Bishop Pabillo added that mining is also one of the causes why Lumad and poor communities are destroyed. There will be more human rights violations against and red-tagging of indigenous people, farmers, fishers who are against mining that destroy their living.
The catholic Bishop also urged Filipinos to care for the environment as the country experienced a sweltering summer and climate disasters, which according to him are exacerbated by mining. In his Sunday mass homily, Bishop Pabillo said that it’s true we’re going to heaven. But as we aspire to go there, let us not neglect the world we live in right now.
Bishop Pabillo, reiterates that this same world will be left to our children and grandchildren that’s why we should be one in saving the earth. “This “Laudato Si week”, Bishop Pabillo urged Filipinos to be more mindful of what’s happening in the environment and change our habits and views for our world. In his Sunday mass, he encouraged everyone to pray that we may have love and care for the beautiful world we were given.
Watchdog Global Witness earlier said that the Philippines was the deadliest country in Asia for land and environmental defenders in 2018. The country is also the most susceptible nation to hazards brought about by climate change, the Global Peace Index 2019 showed.
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