SC to decide on Apeco petition before October--groups
August 14, 2013 | 11:19am
MANILA, Philippines - Several groups on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will finally resolve before October their petition, questioning the constitutionality of the laws that established the controversial Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Zone.
Some 300 local petitioners from fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, Panlalawigang Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Aurora , Resist Apeco, Defend Aurora Movement, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon asked the Court to declare the laws creating Apeco unconstitutional.
"The petition we filed against Apeco was done in October of 2011. We are now entering the second year of this celebrated case and it should stop here. This is a matter of life and death and the SC should not disregard this urgent concern," Salvador France, one of the petitioners, said.
The SC had asked Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to comment on the petition.
However, France said the SC request was made several months ago and until now the two houses of Congress have yet to comment on the case.
At the Lower House, progressive partylist lawmakers in the House of Representatives filed House Bill No. 257 demanding the repeal of Republic Act No. 10083 or known as the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Free Port Act of 2010.
HB No. 257 states that "While the ASEZA law provides that it covers 500 hectares of public agricultural lands, the survey on the community shows that private lands and farm lots awarded to farmer-beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of the government are among those included in ASEZA's coverage."
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