Officers of Save Sual Movement rejected by their own relatives

SUAL, Pangasinan – It is now evident that officers of the so-called Save Sual Movement  here could not convince the residents and various leaders of local organizations and barangays in their opposition to the construction of another coal-fired power plant.

Photo-grab from WordPress.com

Leaders of the group headed by Rossana Tandoc Soriano have chose to ignore the challenge of UNAKA (Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan ng Sual) officers to Soriano and her group to conduct a counter-signature campaign.

Earlier,  all the 69 UNAKA presidents representing various chapters in the Sual’s 19 barangays signed a manifesto expressing their support to the administration and projects of Mayor Roberto Arcinue, particularly  the plan to put up another power plant.

The mayor said a multi-national  company based in South Korea is negotiating for the establishment of a second coal-fired power plant in Sual that would produce 1,000 megawatts.

The UNAKA officers welcomed this development as it would provide thousands of additional jobs for the residents, more scholarship grants for the youth, and huge revenues for the municipality for much-needed programs and projects like health care, agriculture modernization, livelihood, youth and sports development, maintenance of peace and order, and many more.

                                                            Confrontation

On October 2, UNAKA officers confronted Fr. Alfred Viernes, a sympathizer of the Save Sual Movement,  to belie a report  saying that their signatures in the manifesto of support to the power plant project were forged.

The priest has been urging the residents in his church homilies to oppose the construction of another power plant in Sual.

But the UNAKA officers representing more or less 6,000  womenfolk from the different barangays refused to heed the call of the priest, even as they told him they were willing to sign again the manifesto in his presence.

They also sought the presence of Rossana Tandoc Soriano whom they suspected of peddling negative stories about the UNAKA manifesto, but to no avail.

                                                            Hopeless

Some of the UNAKA officers branded the opposition of the Save Sual Movement as a “hopeless” case since even relatives of Soriano, the alleged president of the group, publicly rejected her stand on the planned second power plant.

In an open letter posted on Facebook, George Alexander Agbayani and Josephine Gacad Mayono who are both Soriano’s relatives, denounced Soriano and her brother, Rolando Tandoc, for issuing statements against Mayor Arcinue which they considered as heresay and libelous.

“Ayon sa kanila, hindi raw sila pabor  sa mga proyektong isinusulong ng local na pamahalaan partikular na ang pagkakaroon pa ng isang power plant dito sa Sual at pinaratangan pa ang mga lokal na opisyales ng ating bayan na ganid at gagamitin lamang diumano ang nasabing proyekto upang magpayaman pa lalo. Bukod dito ay nagbigay pa sila ng pahayag na kesyo marami na daw sa ating mga kababayan ang nagkaroon ng sakit dahil sa polusyong dala ng Sual Power Plant, subalit wala naman silang mapakitang mga dokumento o ebidensya para patunayan ito,” Agbayani and Mayono said in their signed open letter.

“Bilang mga mamamayan ng Sual na nais magkaroon ng mas maayos at mas maunlad na pamumuhay, tinutuligsa namin ang ang mga negatibo, mapanira at walang basehang mga komento nila Rolando Tandoc at Rossana Tandoc Soriano. Marahil ay hindi nila kailangan ng progreso sapagkat sila ay mayaman at pamilyang may malawak na lupain dito sa Sual. Subalit kami na mga kamag-anak nila na maliliit  at simpleng tao lamang ay pabor  sa pagkakaroon ng isa pang power plant dito sa ating bayan. Magkakaroon ng dagdag na trabaho para sa mga mamamayan, makakakolekta ng dagdag na buwis ang munisipiyo para pagpapatayo ng mga dagdag na imprastraktura, pabahay, paaralan, health centers,  sports complex at pagpapaayos ng mga kalsada sa mga barangay,” they added.

Agbayani and Mayono also cited other benefits of the planned second power plant such as continuous power supply to residents and busines establishments in Sual and cheaper electrict rates that will attract more investors.

“Kailanma’y hindi kami sang-ayon sa ginagawang paninira at pagpapalaganap ng fake news ng mgakapatid na Rolando Tandoc at Rossana Tandoc Soriano. Hinti katanggap-tanggap ang kanilang mga pananalita. Hindi ganyan ang asta at ugali ng tunay na mamamayan ng Sual na nagmamahal sa sariling bayan. Kami ay naniniwala na ang mga tunay na mamamayan ng Sual ay may tamang asal, ugali at may respecto sa kapwa,” said Agbayani and Mayono.

They concluded: “Sa katapus-tapusan, muli naming ipinapahayag ang pagtuligsa at hindi pagsang-ayon sa ginagawang paninira ng magkapatid na ito na napakamalisyoso at mapanirang-puri sa kapwa tao. At higit sa lahat, nais naming matuloy ang proyektong pagpapatayo ng isa pang power plant dito sa Sual sapagkat ito ang daan upang lalo pang maging progresibo and ating bayan at ang ating mga  pamilya.” n(P.R)

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