NPC to sue dam operators for causing floods

By Angie M. Rosales

10/13/2009

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero yesterday put off his scheduled declaration of his bid for the presidency next year and instead announced plans by his party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), to initiate a class suit against dam operators for allegedly causing the massive flooding in Central and Northern Luzon during the height of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

“Eyes on the ball first. Let’s depart from it (his presidential ambition) for the moment. I don’t see any reason not to proceed with it (the declaration of his political plans), but I plan to focus first on the pressing matter at hand and do what is needed to be done. If there’s a political party like the NPC now focusing on this, there is no reason for other party members and non-political parties to follow suit,” Escudero said in a press conference at the Senate, where he bared the decision reached by his party to defer plans for the 2010 elections in light of the series of calamities that hit the country brought about by two consecutive typhoons.

Last Friday, the neophyte senator bared plans to announce his presidential bid supposedly through a press conference yesterday evening at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.

But recent developments, he said, prompted him and the NPC to postpone the event to a later date.

“It is not right to discuss politics while many of our countrymen are suffering, having no place to settle in and food to eat. So instead of talking about our plans for 2010 tonight, what the (NPC) party will discuss is about what it can do (to help out) in the calamity,” he said in Filipino.

Escudero, though, said he will make his announcement on his plans for 2010 in time for the Nov. 30 deadline on the filing of certificates of candidacy.

In shifting their focus on the present calamities, he said he and the other members of the NPC intend to pursue claims for “tort liability” or a case for damages incurred by the typhoon victims in Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and other affected provinces.

He said in particular, they are zeroing on the operator of the San Roque Dam, although other dam operators are likely to be included in the class suit.

He said at the moment, they are gathering all the needed information to build the case.

“I talked to some local local officials of Pangasinan. I believe if there a cause for this, to have those responsible account to the law. Even if they would be made to assume responsibility in the end, this should also serve them a lesson, to be more cautious in the future,” Escudero said.

He moreover said a parallel move is to be taken in the Senate as he plans to have dam operators grilled by the upper chamber’s committee on climate change headed by Sen. Loren Legarda, which is currently conducting public hearings.

When asked by reporters for a reaction on the decision of Escudero to put off his announcement of his presidential bid, Legarda also evaded talking of her political plans.

Recent reports said Legarda has hinted of sliding down to the vice presidency while pursuing her candidacy in tandem with another “strong” presidential contender.

A group of scientists, environmentalists and social activists recently presented a study on the structural and managerial flaws of the San Roque Dam.

The three dams located along the Agno River are the Ambuklao Dam, Binga Dam and San Roque Dam.

According to Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, the San Roque Dam is the biggest of the three dams and designed as to produce energy, supply water and control flood. It is supposed to have a flood maximum design of 13,000 cubic centimeter or equivalent to floods occurring every 10,000 years.

Despite protests from local and international groups, the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam was approved in 1998. The dam construction was completed in March 2003 and became operational two months after.

Based on a National Power Corp. report, a total maximum 6,000 cubic meters per second of water were released by the three dams last Oct. 9 and are still continuing to release water as of the present time.

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