TAGUM CITY (July 9) – Davao del Norte Board Member and former Igacos Mayor Al David Uy plans to file a board resolution urging the provincial government to explore legal action against environmental groups behind the Writ of Kalikasan petition against the Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) project.
In a media interview on July 8, Uy called the Supreme Court’s July 1 issuance of the writ “economic sabotage” and accused petitioning groups of being “selective” and “elitist,” citing their silence on other environmental issues like the degradation near Mt. Hamiguitan in Davao Oriental.
“This bridge doesn’t benefit only one class — it helps everyone,” Uy said, adding that some groups, allegedly backed by oligarchs, are making life harder for residents of Davao and Samal.
The SC’s writ was in response to environmental concerns over coral reefs in the SIDC project site. It ordered DPWH, DENR, SIPS-PAMB, and the China Road and Bridge Corporation to respond within 10 days. Environmental advocates welcomed the move, stressing that development must not come at the environment’s expense.
Despite his criticisms, Uy said he respects the legal process but hopes the bridge, a 4.76-km toll-free link funded by Chinese ODA, will move forward, reflecting the will of the people in both cities.
