12/05/2026
No to Political Opportunism and Environmental Exploitation
ESAC Alliance Statement | May 12, 2026
Environmentalists Stand Against Corruption Alliance (ESAC) expresses grave concern over the Senate coup led by pro-Duterte senators that transpired yesterday, May 11, 2026. This development reflects the continuing instability and deeply entrenched problems within the country’s political institutions, where power struggles among elites persist at the expense of democratic accountability and public welfare.
The ongoing political turmoil within the Senate underscores the urgent need for genuine reforms that address systemic corruption and strengthen democratic governance. Changes in leadership or political alignments alone will not resolve a system that too often prioritizes vested interests over the needs and rights of the Filipino people.
Amid these political conflicts, the country continues to face worsening environmental and socioeconomic crises. Large-scale mining operations, reclamation projects, land conversions, and environmentally destructive infrastructure projects continue to threaten communities and ecosystems across the country. At the same time, the recent oil price hikes further burden transport workers, commuters, and ordinary Filipinos already struggling with rising costs of living. Weak governance and corruption continue to create conditions that allow corporations to profit at the expense of people and the environment.
The impacts are felt most heavily by marginalized sectors. Farmers are displaced from their lands, fisherfolk lose access to their livelihoods, and indigenous peoples face threats to their ancestral domains. Communities remain vulnerable to pollution, flooding, and climate-related disasters worsened by unsustainable development projects.
We are also alarmed by the increasing attacks and intimidation faced by environmental defenders, journalists, community organizers, and activists who continue to raise legitimate concerns regarding corruption, environmental degradation, and human rights violations. The arrests of Cebu-based environmental activists, the violence reported in Toboso despite its promotion as a renewable energy hub, the continued filing of charges against youth and grassroots advocates, and the media blockage after the senate lockdown raise serious concerns about shrinking democratic spaces and the protection of civil liberties.
The environmental crisis in the Philippines cannot be separated from broader issues of governance, accountability, and social justice. Addressing environmental destruction requires transparent institutions, meaningful public participation, and policies that place the welfare of communities and ecosystems above private and political interests.
In the face of these challenges, we call on the Filipino people, civil society organizations, and democratic institutions to remain vigilant, engaged, and united in upholding accountability from the lowest levels of bureaucracy to the highest offices of government, protecting our natural resources, and defending human rights and democratic processes.
Through collective action, public participation, and solidarity, we can continue advancing the call for environmental justice, good governance, and a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
