Fishermen from Pambansang Kilusang Lakas ng mga Mamalakaya-Navotas (PAMALAKAYA-Navotas) held a mobilization in front of Navotas Regional Trial Court to urge the court to reverse its ruling which dismisses the petition filed by the fishermen against the Navotas LGU.
Following the mobilization, the fisherfolks’ group, once more, filed a motion for reconsideration to counter the RTC’S ruling.
According to the PAMALAKAYA-Navotas, the court’s dismissal of their petition stems from its reasoning that the issuance of permits is an exercise of the local government’s police power and therefore beyond the judicial review.
However, the legal counsel of the petitioners argued that the Navotas LGU itself denied all the permit applications of the local fishermen despite their complete compliance with the requirements.
Rommel Escarial, the president of PAMALAKAYA-Navotas expressed his dismay at the Navotas LGU’s refusal to accept their permit application and the local court’s ruling in dismissing their case.
“Dapat tanggapin at iproseso ng pamahalaang lungsod ang aming mga permit para sa tahungan. Sa patuloy na pagkakait nila nito sa amin, inaagawan kami ng kabuhayan at malinaw na binubuksan ang daan para sa proyektong reklamasyon” he said.
(The LGU should accept and process our permit application for our mussel farms. By continuing to deny this to us, they are robbing us of our livelihood and are clearly paving the way for the reclamation project)
“Hindi po makatao yung ginagawa nilang desisyon sa kaso talagang ginagawa kaming basura gaya nung sinabi ng mayor, kaya binabasura pati kaso namin. Kaya kaming mga mahihirap wala kaming boses dito sa Navotas dahil sa kanila. Mismong LGU ang nagpapabagsak sa amin” he added
(The decisions they are making in the case are inhumane, they are really treating us like garbage, as the mayor said, so they are also throwing out our case. That’s why we poor people have no voice here in Navotas because of them. The LGU itself is the one who is making us suffer)
Meanwhile, the group continues the call to stop all the reclamation projects in Manila bay and to fight for the rights of small fishermen.
“Hinihikayat namin ang Navotas RTC na tumindig sa hanay ng mga mangingisda at muling balikan ang mga makatwirang batayan sa aming petisyon. Nanawagan kami sa mga mangingisida na magkaisa upang igiit ang karapatan sa pangisdaan at ipatigil ang mga mapaminsalang proyektong reklamasyon.” Escarial’s stated.
(We urge the Navotas RTC to stand with the fishermen and revisit the reasonable grounds of our petition. We call on fishermen to unite to assert their fishing rights and stop harmful reclamation projects)
 held a mobilization in front of Navotas Regional Trial Court to urge the court to reverse its ruling which dismisses the petition filed by the fishermen against the Navotas LGU. ){kind=link}