Amid news militant farmers uprooted Monsantoís Bt-Corn in Mindanao,  Ilagan Bishop Sergio Utleg has accused the giant agrochemical firm of   Ã¬bullying its wayî in northern Philippine province of Isabela.

In a Sept 2 pastoral statement read before 35 parishes in Isabela, Utleg  said Monsanto has started with its open-field experiment in two  barangays in the province ‘in spite of our opposition.’

‘Here is a multinational company by the name of Monsanto bullying its  way in the Province of Isabela, “wining and dining” (government)  officials and God knows whom else so that they will accede to its  agenda,’ said the Roman Catholic clergy.  

Monsanto, through its seed division Agroseed, is currently conducting a  multi-location open-field testing of Bt-Corn in 10 different villages in  five provinces in the northern and southern parts of the country.

The government-approved test sites in Isabela are located in VillaLuna,  Cauayan City; Carulay, Echague and either San Felipe, Ilagan or  Alangigan II, Ilagan.

Monsanto, the second largest seed company in the world, has started  testing Bt-Corn in the villages of Villaluna and Carulay.

Utleg expressed fears that a proposed provincial ordinance, authored by  Hon. Nicasio Bautista Jr., banning the field trial may not be passed  with a variety of wooing techniques employed by Monsanto to local  government officials.

Views of the Roman Catholic Church are held with high regard in this  predominantly Catholic South East Asian country.

Residents complain no public hearing was conducted by Monsanto despite  constitutional provisions asking for consultation where public safety is  concerned.

Masipag scientists believe the open-field testing could contaminate  local corn varieties with the genetically engineered variety whose  safety could still not be established conclusively.

Bt-Corn is genetically engineered to contain gene from the soil  bacterium Baccilus thuringiensis, enabling this crop to fight corn  borer.

Unlike the first field test in General Santos City in late 1999,  detasseling, which prevents corn plants from cross-pollinating, is not a  part of the current biosafety measures in the multi-location testing.  ‘The pollen of the Bt-Corn will be carried by the wind and fertilize the  surrounding corn plants and thus, even without wanting it, all other  corn plants will be contaminated by the Bt-Corn,’ said Utleg.

Masipag scientists say that corn sheds its pollen starting 6:00 a.m. to  11:00 a.m. Long distance pollen travel could occur on a windy day.

‘It puts in unnecessary risk our already endangered genetic resources by  allowing an irreversible contamination of our corn varieties by a  variety that remains uncertain and still a subject of intense scientific  debates worldwide,’ said Abigail Verdillo, an agronomist of Masipag.

‘And what about the peopleís health?’ she asked. ‘Monsanto is simply  testing for the efficacy of Bt-Corn against corn borer and safety tests  for human and the environment is not part of the test protocol.’

The multi-location tests simply aims to confirm the resistance of C-818  and C-838 Yieldgard against Asiatic corn borer, evaluate the cornís  economic value and compare grain quality.

Scientists say a GMO crop could cause unintended side-effects ranging  from a mere allergy to death.

Isabela province is the second largest corn-growing area in the  Philippines next to Mindanao. Corn is a staple cereal to many native  Isabelan.

‘On account of the impending dangers resulting from the field testing of  Bt-Corn, we call on our Provincial Officials to abort the field testing  of Bt-Corn that was already ventured upon by Monsanto and to ban any  further field-testing of Bt-Corn thereupon,’ said Utleg.

‘May the God who created all things enlighten the minds of persons who  set their sights on profit and wealth rather than the safety and  integrity of creation,’ he said.

On Aug 29, about 800 farmers, consumers, environmentalists, church  people and students uprooted Bt-Corn crops in an experimental field of  Monsanto in Tampakan town, South Cotabato. (MNV)

[Masipag News & Views is an occasional information release of the Farmer Scientist Partnership for Development (MASIPAG). This report, in whole or in part, could be freely published.]

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