The Lies of PBGEA and Croplife
Romeo F. Quijano, M.D., University of the Philippines Manila   
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Lie No. 1. “At least two persons whom Quijano claimed to have died of pesticide spraying — the Dulla twins — are very much alive.”

Truth: There was no mention at all in our report of “twins ...having died at birth”. What we did write in our report was the following:
 
When Rebecca Dolka, 36, bore her child, it was lifeless, its body and eyes yellow in color. “I didn’t expect that the pesticides I inhaled would affect my pregnancy”, she said.

I was quoting directly from Rebecca Dolka, who I personally interviewed and examined at the time of my investigation in the community. The data I gathered at that time were spontaneously provided by the residents I talked to and examined.

Lie no. 2. “At left is "Murillo" who was brought by the ban advocates to New Zealand where he was supposedly to have his foot looked at.  His foot was injured in a basketball game.  Not able to speak English, he feels that his foot malady was used as a showcase against aerial spraying of fungicide.  It was never attended to, just shown off.  He does not think aerial spray had anything to do with his foot.”

Truth: “Murillo” was brought to the “People's Inquiry” on aerial spraying of pesticides in New Zealand by PAN Asia Pacific to bear witness on the Kamukhaan situation. He actually spoke English in his presentation in New Zealand. Earlier in Kamukhaan, he told us that the non-healing “wound” in his foot, and other complaints, were probably due to exposure to pesticides used by the plantation. We later brought him to a hospital in Davao where he was diagnosed to have TB of the foot (exposure to pesticides makes one more vulnerable to infections, including TB). We had him treated with anti-TB drugs until the “wound” healed. After the New Zealand trip, it has come to our attention that Mr. Murillo was “won over” by the plantation because of incentives. However, we have in our possession his affidavit and a video recording of his testimony obtained before the banana company got him. This is a classic case of a company buying off a witness.
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DOH asks DA to ban aerial spraying on bananas
Donna Pazzibugan, www.inquirer.net   
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Health submitted to the agriculture department on Wednesday its recommendation to ban the aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations in Mindanao.

The DOH informed the Department of Agriculture about the harm caused by the “pesticide drift” to surrounding homes and environment.

The health department said the ban on aerial spraying should stay "until proof of its safety is clearly established by the (banana) industry.”

The DOH cited findings by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) showing that almost 40 per cent of the pesticides sprayed by an aircraft supposedly over banana plantations ended up drifting to surrounding residential areas.

“In this case, the residential areas and schools are exposed to considerable risks to spray drift and post-application drift because of their proximity to the plantations,” the DOH said.

The health agency pointed out the absence of any protection for communities in and around banana plantations from the pesticide drift.
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House hearing on aerial spray set
Carlo P. Mallo, Sunstar Davao   
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
HOUSE of Representatives’ committee on ecology will conduct Friday a public hearing on the controversy brought about by aerial spraying of chemicals in Davao City.

The decades-old agricultural practice of aerial spraying over vast hectares of banana and pineapple plantations will take center-stage on Friday at the Apo View Hotel, where the public hearing will be held.

The hearing was made in accordance with pending resolutions before the House.

Among others, the resolutions to be taken into consideration during the public hearing would include House Resolution 741, which seeks an inquiry into all possible alternatives to aerial pesticide spraying in plantations, authored by Representative Luzviminda Ilagan.
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More Groups ask Arroyo to Ban Aerial Spraying
Ben O. Tesiorna, Sunstar Davao   
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
More groups, both local and international, are joining the call of the banning of aerial spraying in agricultural plantations.

After the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, a Southeast Asian agriculture organization recently joined the bandwagon calling President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue an Executive Order (EO) banning the agricultural practice of aerial spraying in the entire country.

The Southeast Asian Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (Searice), a regional development organization promoting community-based management of agricultural   biodiversity and farmers' rights in the Asian region, wrote President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on November 9 urging her office to stop the toxic rain in farming communities because small-holder farmers play a crucial role in producing and securing the food needs of the Philippines.

Searice Policy Information Unit coordinator Paul Pedro Borja said in an emailed statement that "this sector of small-holder farmers is at stake if the air that they breathe, their irrigations systems,and drinking water are contaminated with pesticides. Their livelihood systems, which rely on diversity of animals, vegetables and fruit trees are also compromised when pesticides from the banana plantations drifts through the aerial sprays."
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