MANILA, Philippines – Five students are seeking a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) against San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) tree-cutting in the City of Manila.

The students filed the case last Friday, May 29. Three of them were present on Monday, June 1, at a Manila regional trial court during the clarificatory hearing. The court has yet to issue a resolution on whether to grant the TEPO or not.

“For us many Filipino youth, we are the ones who will be facing [the problem] if we continue to allow the cutting of trees,” 20-year-old Elisha Zantua said on the witness stand on Monday. Zantua studies sustainability and environment at Miriam College in Quezon City.

The students filed the instant action as “a citizen suit for themselves and in representation of the Filipino youth and the generations yet unborn,” read the complaint.

SMC has felled at least 245 trees after getting permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). A total of 617 trees will be removed to give way for SMC’s proposed Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX). The tree-cutting sparked outrage from advocates and professionals.

According to the plaintiffs, SMC violated Republic Act No. 3571, a law that prohibits removal of trees along public roads, plazas, parks, and school premises.

A temporary environmental protection order will restrain SMC from cutting or balling more trees in Manila. The order is valid for 72 hours.

SMC has already reportedly voluntarily desisted from removing trees, according to the environment department. The company has yet to confirm this. The students emphasized the urgent need for a TEPO despite this development.

“[P]rotection of the remaining trees should not be left solely to the will and unilateral decision of the defendant,” the complaint read.

Joaquin Bautista, one of the complainants, said the youth are in the best position to challenge a huge corporation like SMC because they do not have economic interests.

“We believe that if there’s anyone least intimidated by this, it should be us,” Bautista, a journalism student from the University of the Philippines Diliman, told Rappler in Filipino.

He added: “What will San Miguel do to us? Will they strip us of jobs? Will they deprive us of economic interest? What we get from here is we’re able to fight for our future.”

The students chose not to bring their affiliations to the case. Bautista explained: “We also want to send a message to San Miguel Corporation that what you’re fighting against is not just organization A or organization B. You are fighting against the youth. And if they lose, then they lost to the youth.”

– Rappler.com