case study: offshore drilling in tañon strait protected seascape · ©developing environmental...

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

STRENGTHENINGCAPACITYFORENVIRONMENTALLAWINTHEASIA-PACIFIC:DEVELOPINGENVIRONMENTALLAW

CHAMPIONSCebu,22nd–26thAugust,2016

CaseStudy:OffshoreDrillinginTañonStraitProtectedSeascape

GloriaEstenzoRamosOceanaPhilippines

UniversityofCebuCollegeofLaw*

* On leave

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

PurposeoftheTañonStraitCasestudy•  Toexamine:-  Standingtosueinenvironmentalcase-  ApplicaJonofEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentActinrelaJontoprotectedareas

References:ResidentMarineMammalsv.Reyes,G.R.No.180771,April21,2015SupremeCourtRulesofProcedureforEnvironmentalCases

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

TañonStraitProtectedSeascape

One of the country’s major fishing grounds It supports more than 2.1 million people from the 42 surrounding municipalities and cities in 3 provinces - Cebu, Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Facts•  TanonStraitwasdeclaredasaprotectedseascapebyformerPresident

FidelV.Ramos.Itisarichfishinggroundandthemigratorypathwayof14outof29speciesofwhalesanddolphinsinthecountry

•  TheDepartmentofEnergyenteredintoaServiceContractwithJapanPetroleumExploraJonCo.(JAPEX)forthe“exploraJon,development,andproducJonofpetroleumresourcesinablockcoveringapproximately2,850squarekilometersoffshoreintheTañonStrait.”

•  Thefisherfolkopposedtheseismicsurveyanddrillingastheyweredisplacedfromtheirfishinggrounds

•  Twostewardsrepresentedthemarinemammalsinthecase.

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Controversy•  A.StandingtoSue-Canwhalesanddolphinssue?•  B.EnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)-WastherecomplianceintheEIALaw?•  C.Wastheservicecontractforoffshoredrillingvalid?

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

SupremeCourtRuling

•  StandingtoSue-LiberalapplicaJonoflocusstandiinenvironmentalcases

-  TheCourtappliedtheciJzensuitprovisioninthe2010RulesofProceduresforEnvironmentalCasesretroacJveeffect.ItreliedontheCiJzensuitprovisionintheRules“TofurtherencouragetheprotecJonoftheenvironment,theRulesenableliJgantsenforcingenvironmentalrightstofiletheircasesasciJzensuits.ThisprovisionliberalizesstandingforallcasesfiledenforcingenvironmentallawsandcollapsesthetradiJonalruleonpersonalanddirectinterest,ontheprinciplethathumansarestewardsofnature.TheterminologyofthetextreflectsthedoctrinefirstenunciatedinOposav.Factoran,insofarasitreferstominorsandgeneraJonsyetunborn.”

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

CiJzenSuit•  “AlthoughthispeJJonwasfiledin2007,yearsbeforetheeffecJvityoftheRulesofProcedureforEnvironmentalCases,ithasbeenconsistentlyheldthatrulesofprocedure"mayberetroacJvelyappliedtoacJonspendingandundeterminedattheJmeoftheirpassageandwillnotviolateanyrightofapersonwhomayfeelthatheisadverselyaffected,inasmuchasthereisnovestedrightsinrulesofprocedure."

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

SupremeCourtRuling

•  TheCourtreiterateditspronouncementinthelandmarkOposacase(Minorsv.Factoran,G.R.No.101083,July30,1993)

•  ThesuitwasallowedtobebroughtinthenameofgeneraJonsyetunborn"basedontheconceptofintergeneraJonalresponsibilityinsofarastherighttoabalancedandhealthfulecologyisconcerned."

•  “Therighttoabalancedandhealthfulecology,arightthatdoesnotevenneedtobestatedinourConsJtuJonasitisassumedtoexistfromtheincepJonofhumankind,carrieswithitthecorrelaJvedutytorefrainfromimpairingtheenvironment.”

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

EIAProcess

•  “JAPEXonlystartedtosecureanECCpriortothesecondsub-phaseofSC-46,whichrequiredthedrillingofanoilexploraJonwell.ThismeansthatwhentheseismicsurveysweredoneintheTañonStrait,nosuchenvironmentalimpactevaluaRonwasdone.UnlessseismicsurveysarepartofthemanagementplanoftheTañonStrait,suchsurveysweredoneinviolaJonofSecJon12oftheNIPASActandSecJon4ofPresidenJalDecreeNo.1586,whichprovides:PresidenJalProclamaJonofEnvironmentallyCriJcalAreasandProjects.-ThePresidentofthePhilippinesmay,onhisowniniJaJveoruponrecommendaJonoftheNaJonalEnvironmentalProtecJonCouncil,byproclamaJondeclarecertainprojects,undertakingsorareasinthecountryasenvironmentallycriJcal.Noperson,partnershiporcorporaJonshallundertakeoroperateanysuchdeclaredenvironmentallycriJcalprojectorareawithoutfirstsecuringanEnvironmentalComplianceCerJficateissuedbythePresidentorhisdulyauthorizedrepresentaJve…”

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

EIAProcess•  TheCourtheldthattherespondents'subsequentcompliancewiththeEISrequirementforthesecondsub-phaseofSC-46cannotandwillnotcuretheviolaRon.

•  ItalsodeclaredthatrespondentsfailedtocomplywiththerequirementoftheNIPASActthat“AnyexploitaJonanduJlizaJonofenergyresourcesfoundwithinNIPASareasshallbeallowedonlythroughalawpassedbyCongress.”Thus,“noenergyresourceexploitaJonanduJlizaJonmaybedoneinsaidprotectedseascape.”

©Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2016. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

QUESTIONS•  Whatlessonscanbelearnedfromthiscase?•  Giveargumentsinsupportofthe(a)whalesanddolphins;(b)theself-proclaimedguardians;©fisherfolk;(d)thegovernmentand(e)exploraJoncompany

•  Doyouagreewiththeruling?