Manila — Greenpeace Philippines is joining today’s people’s protests against collusion, corruption, and greed, adding its voice to the overwhelming public outrage on massive corruption on flood control projects—projects that are essentially part of the government’s climate adaptation program.
A group of more than 30 Greenpeace activists are currently in the march at Luneta Park, following a press launch last Friday of the “People’s Declaration for Climate Justice: End Corruption and Hold Polluters Accountable.”[1] Greenpeace estimates that as much as PHP 1.089 trillion of the government’s climate-tagged expenditure may have been potentially lost to corruption since 2023.[2]
Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin said:
“Greenpeace is joining millions of Filipinos in voicing out their anger and disgust over systemic corruption and plunder of taxpayer’s money by government officials and contractors.
“Corruption and greed are undermining the ability of millions of Filipinos to survive in the face of climate change. Flood control project funds are climate adaptation funds—money meant to protect Filipino communities, but these are being plundered by corrupt government officials and contractors in the scale of hundreds of billions.
“Massive corruption on flood control projects at a time of climate change, worsened by the continued extraction and operation of fossil fuel companies in the name of profit, is piling one injustice over another to Filipino communities. Filipinos cannot continue to suffer the double burden of corruption and corporate impunity.
“The government must not be deaf to the outrage of Filipinos and must heed the call to exact accountability both from corrupt officials and contractors, as well as from giant fossil fuel companies which continue to profit from the climate crisis.”
Last Friday. Communities from Tumana, labor and women’s and youth groups, launched the “People’s Declaration for Climate Justice: End Corruption and Hold Polluters Accountable, ” which demands the Philippine government to ensure transparency, accountability, and people-powered governance; to protect nature and build resilience; and to hold corrupt officials and companies as well as climate polluters to account.
Notes to the Editor:
[1] The declaration outlines the following demands:
- Ensure Transparency, Accountability, and People-Powered Governance: Investigate corruption in flood-control and climate projects; bring to justice every official, contractor, and network involved; enforce full transparency in government spending and contracts; guarantee public access to all climate and adaptation data; institutionalize public participation in climate decision-making.
- Protect Nature and Build Resilience: Shift from “gray” concrete to green, community-led solutions; protect forests, watersheds, and coasts; stop destructive mining, quarrying, and reclamation; ban single-use plastics to unclog waterways and prevent deadly floods.
- Hold Climate Polluters to Account: Phase out fossil fuels; make polluters pay for loss and damage; enact policies that hold climate-destroying corporations accountable.
Read the full declaration: https://bit.ly/peoplesdeclarationforcj
Link to photos: https://act.gp/bahalunetapics
For requests for interviews and other information, please contact:
Karl Orit, Communications Campaigner
Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines
[email protected] | +63 919 4571064
