超過135個公益團體在11日要求菲律賓政府對該國境內的安殺番下永久使用禁令。這些團體透過一封請願信敦促政府積極替一項安殺番全球禁令背書，以保護公共健康和環境。
由於一場決定安殺番的命運的重要國際會議舉行在即，這項請願活動由EcoWaste Coalition、Pesticide Action Network，以及GAIA（全球焚化爐替代方案聯盟）等團體領軍，要求針對殺蟲劑的使用採取強硬措施。
管制持久性有機污染物（Persistent Organic Pollutants，POPs）的《斯德哥爾摩公約》審查會將於4月25~29日在瑞士日內瓦舉行。該會議主要討論履行公約的相關議題，包括來自科學專家小組對安殺番禁令的建議。
聯合國持久性有機污染物審查委員會於去年的審查會中，建議將安殺番納入《斯德哥爾摩公約》附件A，也就是全球禁止使用的名單之中。
泛菲律賓聯盟主席、毒理學家Romy Quijano博士說，「重點是，菲律賓代表團必須在會議上對安殺番禁令表現強硬的政策立場。在開發中國家，安殺番與神經系統疾病、智能發育遲緩、先天性身體畸形，以及社區農民與居民的死亡有很大的關聯。」
請願者要求農業部長Proceso Alcala與即將與會的各國聯手作出將安殺番納入POP公約的歷史性決定，以杜絕安殺番在全球的使用。GAIA與EcoWaste Coalition的代表Manny Calonzo說，「我們不能繼續對安殺番在健康與環境上造成的危害坐視不管。該是我國與全世界一起終結這個劇毒化學殺蟲劑的時候了。」
這些團體表示，眾多政府、學術及民間團體在安殺番對健康與生態上的風險評估以及污染受害者的證詞，都在在證實了安殺番的劇毒性、生物蓄積性與持久性等特性。這些團體也告訴Alcala部長，由於菲律賓不再登記使用安殺番，禁止使用安殺番的這項決議應該是「很容易達成、不會引起異議、可辯護的」。
Del Monte與Dole pineapple是過去僅有兩間實際獲准進口並使用安殺番的公司。在2008年發生的致命的「星辰公主號」(M.V. Princess of the Stars)船難，造成10公噸安殺番隨著命運乖舛的客船沉沒海底後，目前也改用其他殺蟲劑。
這些團體提醒Alcala部長，化肥和農藥管理局可透過法律授權，「限制或禁止任何殺蟲劑的使用…經證據指出，該殺蟲劑具有迫在眉睫的危險，已造成或正在對農作物、魚類、家畜、大眾健康及環境造成廣泛而嚴重的傷害」。他們也主張，一個正式的安殺番禁令可使環境與自然資源部在備忘錄2009-02中針對安殺番進口、分配與使用的臨時禁令更加穩固，「可保護公眾健康，免受使用安殺番帶來讓人不快的風險與危害」。
超過80個國家，包括歐盟27個會員國、澳洲、加拿大、印尼、馬來西亞、紐西蘭、南韓以及斯里蘭卡等，皆已禁止或正逐步淘汰安殺番的使用。美國環保署於2010六月宣布，將終止所有安殺番的使用，因為它「對農民及野生動物造成不可接受的危害，並且會永久存留在環境中。」然而，在印度、中國等許多國家，安殺番仍然普遍使用。
製造安殺番的公司有Makhteshim Chemical Works, Ltd., Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc., Drexel Chemical Company KMG-Bernuth, Inc., and Hindustan Insecticides Ltd等。
More than 135 public interest groups Monday asked the Philippines national government for a permanent ban on the pesticide endosulfan within the country. Through a petition letter, the groups also urged the government to actively back a global ban on endosulfan to protect public health and the environment.
Led by the EcoWaste Coalition, Pesticide Action Network and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, or GAIA, the campaigners urged tough action against the pesticide ahead of a crucial intergovernmental meeting that is expected to seal its fate.
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs, will meet on April 25-29 in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss matters related to implementation of the treaty, including the recommendation by a panel of scientific experts to ban endosulfan.
The UN POPs Review Committee last year recommended the addition of endosulfan to Annex A of the treaty as a new persistent organic pollutant for worldwide elimination.
"It is imperative for the Philippine delegation to bring to the meeting a strong policy position banning endosulfan, which has been linked to neurological disorders, mental retardation, congenital physical deformities, and deaths among community farmers and residents in developing countries," said toxicologist Dr. Romy Quijano, president of PAN-Philippines.
The AlerToxic Patrol volunteers of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project PROTECT, which stands for People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats, brought the petition letter to the Department of Agriculture, where a picket line was formed.
The petitioners asked Secretary Proceso Alcala to join with the nations that will soon make a historic decision to add endosulfan to the POPs treaty, which will eventually lead to its elimination from global use.
"We can no longer turn a blind eye to the health and environmental hazards caused by endosulfan. It's time for our country and the world to terminate this acutely toxic chemical pesticide," said Manny Calonzo, representative of both GAIA and the EcoWaste Coalition.
Among the signatories were: 2010 presidential candidate Nicky Perlas, former health chief Dr. Jimmy Galvez Tan, Mindanao statesman Senator Nene Pimentel, actor and playwright Roy Alvarez, toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio, pulmonologist Dr. Maricar Limpin, human rights lawyer Marlon Manuel, labor leader Josua Mata, climate campaigner Dr. Helen Mendoza, Sierra Madre advocate Fr. Pete Montallana, zero waste pioneer Dr. Met Palaypay, educator Dr. Leah Paquiz, Philippine Greens convenor Obet Verzola, and beauty queen Cathy Untalan.
Numerous assessments of the human health and ecological risks of endosulfan by governments, academics and citizens` groups, including testimonies from pollution victims, have confirmed the toxic, bio-accumulative and persistent characteristics of endosulfan, the groups said.
The groups told Secretary Alcala that the decision to ban endosulfan should be "easy, non-contentious and defensible" as the Philippines no longer has any registered uses for endosulfan.
Del Monte and Dole pineapple companies, the only two entities previously permitted to import and use endosulfan, have switched to alternative pesticides following the deadly M.V. Princess of the Stars maritime tragedy in 2008 where some 10 metric tons of endosulfan went down with the ill-fated passenger ship.
The groups reminded Secretary Alcala that the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, which he chairs, is empowered by law "to restrict or ban the use of any pesticide... upon evidence that the pesticide is an imminent hazard, has caused, or is causing widespread serious damage to crops, fish or livestock, or to public health and environment."
They argue that a formal ban on endosulfan will bolster the temporary ban on the importation, distribution and use of endosulfan imposed under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Memorandum Circular 2009-02 "to protect the public health from any undesirable risks and hazards on the use of endosulfan."
Over 80 governments, including the 27 member European Union and the governments of Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea and Sri Lanka, have banned endosulfan or are phasing it out.
In June 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will terminate all uses of endosulfan because it "poses unacceptable risks to agricultural workers and wildlife, and can persist in the environment."
But endosulfan is still used extensively in many other countries including India and China. Endosulfan is produced by Makhteshim Chemical Works, Ltd., Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc., Drexel Chemical Company, KMG-Bernuth, Inc., and Hindustan Insecticides Ltd, among others.
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