Members of Green Alert Negros staged a picket yesterday in front of the Provincial Capitol to oppose the proposed Sangguniang Panlalawigan ordinance promoting sustainable agriculture and protecting biodiversity within the territorial jurisdiction of Negros Occidental.

The group said it believes the ordinance is a ploy to deceive the public and allow GMO (genetically modified organisms) products in the province despite the anti-GMO ordinance.

Junjun Mojica of the GAN said the public should be vigilant in opposing the proposed ordinance since it already went through first legislative readying in the Feb. 24 SP regular session.

Mojica said they will conduct a signature campaign in the schools against the ordinance and will appeal to the public not to support the election bids of Provincial Board Members Edgardo Acuña and Nehemias Dela Cruz, who, along with board member Enrique Miguel Lacson, were the co-authors of the proposed ordinance.

GAN is calling on the SP to strengthen the organic farming program of the province instead of “railroading” the public with its pro-GMO stance.

Meanwhile, Vice Governor Emilio Yulo III said the ordinance authored by the three board members and the call to amend the existing anti-GMO ordinance, are two different things.

He said the SP is mandated to accept all proposed ordinances and there is no definite timetable set for the passage of any ordinance.

Yulo said that, until the legal opinion from the Department of Interior and Local Government that was sought by the SP on the amendments of the anti-GMO ordinance, further discussions remain pending.

Lacson, on the other hand, said he does not care if those who oppose the proposed ordinance he co-authored with Dela Cruz and Acuña will campaign against him.

Since he is not running for an elective office in the May 10, 2010 election, Lacson said he is ready to defend his position on the GMO issue and the proposed ordinance that calls for the promotion of sustainable agriculture and protection of biodiversity in the province.*NAB

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