Press Release
19 February 2008

Green groups step up calls for clean governance
with Atienza's resignation and Arroyo's removal

Clean governance should start with the immediate removal of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the resignation of her top honcho
Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

This was the message brought across by green groups affiliated with
the Environment and Natural Resource Advocates for GMA's Expulsion
(ENRAGED) and Kalikasan Peoples' Network for the Environment
(Kalikasan PNE), who staged a 'clean-up' protest in front of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Main Office
this morning in Quezon City.

Wielding cleaning implements, props made out of recycled materials,
and 'green and pro-people tips' for ordinary Filipinos sick of
Arroyo's dirty governance, members of ENRAGED and Kalikasan PNE called
for a "clean-up of the dirt and filth that the NBN ZTE scandals has
uncovered, starting with the proper and immediate removal of President
Arroyo and her Secretary Atienza".

"To protect our environment and wisely use our natural resources, we
need a clean, honest, and morally-credible government to lead the way.
It is a tragedy to the people and the environment if corrupt officials
and liars will be the ones running the Philippine government,"
Clemente Bautista Jr., a convenor of ENRAGED, said in a statement.

"The NBN-ZTE deal is just one among the many, many corruption scandals
of the Arroyo administration which should be exposed and be accounted
for. This administration continues to sell off our natural resources
to foreign interests by opening up our industries through laws such as
the Mining Act of 1995 or bilateral trade agreements, such as the
Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA)," Bautista
elaborated.

"President Arroyo--in addition to her long record of corruption
scandals, political repression, and electoral fraud--is the foremost
proponent of anti-environment and anti-people policies. As a senator,
Arroyo was the principal author of the Mining Act of 1995 (Republic
Act 7942), the law which has authorized the sell-out of more than half
a million hectares of Philippine land to foreign mining firms.
Heradministration continues to aggresively promote foreign-owned and
large-scale mining projects nationwide at the expense of national
sovereignty, environment, and human rights," Bautista said.

"President Arroyo should step down from office before her
administration does more damage to the people and the environment. The
people cannot afford to have her as President until 2010 or beyond,"
Bautista stressed.

For environmental advocates, the NBN ZTE scandal also provided a study
in contrasts of two different environment officials, DENR Secretary
Lito Atienza and Philippine Forest Corporation Chief Executive Officer
Jun Lozada. The NBN ZTE hearings is proving who among the two
officials has been the true champion of the environment and people's
welfare, Bautista said.

"Between the two, Lozada has proven himself to be the genuine
environmentalist because he stood for the truth and the people's
interests in the end. In contrast, Secretary Atienza has proven
himself to be the top honcho of filthy influence-peddling and dirty
cover ups along with President Arroyo," he said.

ENRAGED! is an alliance representing thirty environmental
organizations nationwide. It was formed in July 2005 in response to
President Arroyo's destructive environmental and economic policies and
unresolved counts of massive electoral fraud in the 2004 national
elections.

Reference: Clemente Bautista, Jr. , Convenor, ENRAGED. Contact No.
 0922-844-9787

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