Press Release
January 16, 2008

SENATE MULLS LAND USE POLICY

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate energy committee, said that in order to heed the warning of Nobel laureates against indiscriminate biofuel development, a newly created bicameral oversight committee will hold a public hearing on the impact of biofuel farming on land use policy.

Santiago said that the committee might also consider a possible "windfall tax" on absentee landlords with large tracts of land.

"The 2008 budget already contains an appropriation of P10 million in order to constitute the Biofuels Oversight Committee, of which I shall be co-chair with Rep. Mikey Arroyo, who is House energy committee chair," Santiago said.

She said that it was "rude and peevish" to attack Nobel Prize laureates for cautioning against the rush to biofuel development at the expense of food security.

The three Nobel Prize winners are: Dr. Harmut Michel, Yuan Lee, and Paul Crutzen. "To anyone with a proper sense of humility, in case of doubt, the presumption should be in favor of the opinion of a Nobel laureate in science. In this case, at least three laureates have issued the same warning. The debate on food versus fuel is not political or legal, but scientific. This means that the national policy issue involved is land use, not capitalist profits which will certainly be made by either side of the controversy," the senator said. Santiago said that when she was defending the Biofuels Act on the Senate floor, she received many inquiries and expressions of support from rich landowners with vast tracts of idle land or marginal land hoping to cash in on jatropha and other sources of biofuel.

"If there is a gasoline lobby against biofuel, I can say from personal experience that there is also an absentee landowner lobby for biofuel. Both sides expect to make money at the expense of the other. I have no interest, direct or indirect, in their public debate because I do not own land holdings. I am a legislator tasked with protecting the national interest," Santiago said.

When media questioned her about debating with Sen. Miguel Zubiri who recently attacked Nobel Laureate Dr. Hartmut Michel for cautioning against indiscriminate biofuel development, Santiago said: "I have no time for that. If indeed there is a debate challenge, I plan to request Koko Pimentel to represent me. He was one of my few brilliant students in UP Law. Unlike others his age, he does not indulge in public breast-beating but devotes himself to quiet academic achievement."

Still referring to the reported debate challenge, Santiago said: "Anyone challenging me to a publicity debate should wait a little. My granddaughter will represent me. She was born last December."

News Latest News Feed