EcoWaste Coalition Appeals to Poll Candidates to Protect the Mother Earth
A non-profit watchdog group for
chemical safety and zero waste asked political aspirants to exercise
environmental stewardship as the election season heats up.
The EcoWaste Coalition made the plea on behalf of Mother Earth as candidates
for all elective positions in the 2016 polls prepare to file their certificates
of candidacy (COCs) on October 12-16.
“We appeal to all candidates for the May 2016 polls not to pay lip service to
environmental protection to woo voters. Candidates often say ‘I will
serve the people and protect the environment,’ but fail to match words with
deeds,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“In the period leading up to the elections, we ask all candidates and their
backers regardless of their political colors to show authentic concern for
Mother Earth by campaigning in a responsible manner that will cause no harm to
public health and the environment,” she said.
“From the filing of their COCs to the designated campaign period, we urge
candidates to be mindful of what they do to prevent and reduce the wasting of
resources and the dirtying of the surroundings. Please refrain from
being a ‘garpol’,” she emphasized.
The EcoWaste coined the term "garpol," a wordplay of "garbage"
and "politician," to describe a wasteful politico who does not
mind throwing away resources and generating loads of trash as long
as he or she gets the votes of the electorate.
The filing of COCs, for example, should be done in a simple way sans
extravagant gimmicks, motorcades and wasteful use of propaganda materials that
will only add to garbage, pollution and traffic woes, the EcoWaste Coalition
suggested.
As the official campaign period has yet to commence, the EcoWaste Coalition
urged candidates to shun premature campaigning out of delicadeza.
“Premature campaigning such as the tarps with the faces and names of politicos
nailed on trees leaves a bad taste to the mouth,” Lucero said.
As per Comelec Resolution 9981, the campaign period for the
presidential, vice-presidential and senatorial candidates and
party-list groups will begin on February 9 to May 7, 2016, while the
campaign period for congressional and other local elective positions will start
on March 25 to May 7, 2016.
As in previous
elections, the EcoWaste Coalition will actively promote waste prevention and
reduction before, during and after the campaign period, and call attention to
practices that pose hazard to human health and the environment.
-end-
http://www.comelec.gov.ph/?r=Archives/RegularElections/2016NLE/Resolutions/res9981
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