A tourist boat sails near the craneway of the Davao-Samal bridge project on Tuesday (18 February 2025). The 2.9-kilometer bridge, which will connect Davao City and Samal Island, is set to be completed in 2027. MindaNews file photo
(MindaNews / 04 July) – Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte on Friday blamed the delay in the construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge on “environmental concerns raised selectively by those whose business interests are most affected.”
In a statement, Duterte said he respects the decision of the Supreme Court issuing a writ of kalikasan against the project as well “recognize the right of every Filipino to a balanced and healthy environment.”
But he added that the project is meant to provide Davao and Samal residents safer and affordable transport, increase trade and tourism, and create more jobs for local communities.
“The petitioner and others who oppose the bridge should reflect on whether their objections genuinely prioritize environmental protection, or merely serve to preserve private commercial interests,” the mayor said.
“This project has undergone environmental studies, secured clearances, and was designed to minimize its impact,” he added.
The Supreme Court, acting on a petition against the project that argued it would cause “actual, serious, and irreversible damage” to ecologically sensitive marine areas, specifically the Paradise Reef off Samal Island and the Hizon Marine Protected Area in Davao City, issued the writ on July 1.
The petitioners included Carmela Marie Santos, former director of Ateneo de Davao University’s Ecoteneo; Mark Peñalver, executive director of Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability, Inc.; Marvelous Dainty Camilo, chairperson of Dyesabel Philippines Inc; and the Sustainable Davao Movement, represented by Santos and Peñalver.
Named as respondents were China Road and Bridge Corporation, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Samal Island Protected Landscape and Seascape Protected Area Management Board.
The Writ of Kalikasan is a legal remedy under Philippine laws, providing protection on one’s constitutional right to a healthy environment. The writ may be sought to deal with environmental damage with such a huge magnitude that it “threatens life, health, or property” of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces. (MindaNews)
