Environmental group Quezon for Environment (QUEEN), church leaders, and residents from Atimonan, Quezon Province, together with the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), filed a criminal and administrative complaint on Monday against Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The complaint accuses Garin of approving the 1,200-megawatt Atimonan One Energy Inc. (A1E) coal-fired power plant project despite the government’s moratorium on new coal developments.

In 2020, the DOE issued a coal moratorium halting the development of new coal-fired power plant projects. However, in July 2025, Garin exempted the Atimonan coal project from the ban, a move that PMCJ claims did not meet the required criteria for exemption.

Groups and communities in Quezon Province, particularly in Atimonan, have strongly opposed Garin’s decision.

“There is overwhelming opposition against the construction of the Atimonan coal plant. It is not just the church but the people of Atimonan and Quezon Province. Besides, the economic and financial arguments are clearly against it. No one is interested in investing in coal plants anymore as their era has passed,” said Fr. Warren Puno, lead convenor of QUEEN. “DOE Secretary Garin has created a mess, and now she has to face the consequences.”

The complaint accuses Garin of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019), as well as committing grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Complainants allege that Garin unlawfully allowed the Atimonan coal project to proceed despite the moratorium, exposing local communities and the environment to serious harm.

“Sec. Garin clearly violated her own Department’s coal moratorium when she conveniently greenlighted the Atimonan coal plant despite DOE’s previous decision to bar the long-stalled project,” said Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, PMCJ chief legal counsel. “Her approval bears the hallmarks of corruption by accommodating a project to the point of breaking existing regulations.”

Pedrosa added that DOE’s 14 October 2025 advisory expanding the exemptions to the coal moratorium cannot be retroactively applied to justify the project. He also said that the project violates the Department of Health–Department of Interior and Local Government Joint Administrative Order No. 2021-0001, which requires a Health Impact Clearance Certificate before construction.

“Quezon Province is a coal corridor with five operating coal plants with a total capacity of 2,250 MW. It is burning the people’s health, livelihood, and future,” said Ma. Luisa Opalda, an Atimonan resident and one of the complainants. “We will not stop fighting until they are held accountable.”

The groups urged the Ombudsman to act promptly on the case to deter public officials from extending undue advantage to projects that threaten public welfare.

PMCJ and other concerned organizations also called on the government to reaffirm its commitment to the coal moratorium, address livelihood and health concerns of affected communities, and hold accountable those contributing to the climate crisis.