Stop wall-installation in Navotas, Congressman Tiangco urged
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) on Tuesday urged Navotas City Representative Tobias “Toby” Tiangco to order a stop on the installation of fences and markers along the shoreline of Navotas City as part of the Navotas Boulevard Business Park (NBBP) reclamation project.
The Navotas Boulevard Business Park (NBBP) is a 650-hectare reclamation project in Navotas City intended for commercial and mixed use.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA accused the Tiangco clans of conniving with the Triple One Construction, the proponent of the reclamation project, to eliminate and replace more than 20,000 fishing families with eco-tourism zones.
“It seems that my former colleague in the Congress has already entered a done deal with the proponent of the Navotas reclamation. There is something fishy with the town’s local political clan because until now, they have yet to give any comment on the calls of the Navotas fisherfolk to put a stop on the reclamation project,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA Chairperson and former Anakpawis Party-list solon said in a statement.
The group claimed that the Tiangco clan is behind the spate of harassments led by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) among their local members. Elements of MARINA have been conducting house-to-house operations threatening PAMALAKAYA leaders and members not to attend organizational activities or else their fishing boats will be impounded by the authority.
“Tiangco is using the MARINA to impose fear among the fisherfolk and Navotas residents who exercise their constitutional freedom to assembly and those who defend their rights to fishing waters. We strongly condemn Congressman Tiangco and his brother City Mayor John Rey Tiangco at the strongest terms,”
“Congressman Tiangco is all wrong if he thinks that threatening the fisherfolk would stop them to fight for what is rightfully theirs; we will heighten our unity and resistance against the destructive reclamation project in Navotas and in the whole Manila Bay,” ended Hicap. ###
