MANILA, Philippines – Nagsampa ang mga civil society groups, lider ng simbahan, at residente ng Atimonan, Quezon ng administrative at criminal complaints laban kay Energy Secretary Sharon Garin sa Office of the Ombudsman.
Kasama rin sa reklamo ang graft, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, at conduct prejudicial to public interest dahil sa pag-apruba niya sa 1,200-MW Atimonan coal-fired power plant sa kabila ng coal moratorium ng DOE.
“Secretary Garin clearly violated her own Department’s coal moratorium when she conveniently green lighted the Atimonan coal plant despite DOE’s previous decision to bar the long-stalled project due to the existing ban. Her approval bears the hallmarks of corruption by accommodating a project to the point of breaking existing regulations,” ani Atty. Aaron Pedrosa ng Philippine, legal counsel ng Philippine Movement for Climate Justice.
Aniya pa, ang proyekto ay diumano ring lumalabag sa health guidelines ng DOH-DILG Joint Administrative Order para sa Health Impact Assessment, dahil wala pang isumiteng aplikasyon para sa clearance.
