Memorandum for the Petitioners| 4 youth survivor!” who was forced to stand up for her family at a young age and work overseas— enduring loneliness just to help put food on the table. cities. We also heard about how climate change impacts people’s lives in the A surgeon who temporarily lost the use of her hands after infection from a previously unheard-of mosquito-borne disease after a typhoon.!3 The Jeepney driver'* who was forced by the extreme heat to work shorter hours for a smaller income. These witnesses testified to the way extreme heat and air pollution stress the human body beyond its ability to cope. And we have heard too many stories from across the country -- from those who have lost their children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors to ever fiercer typhoons and tropical cyclones!> -- the shadows of which continue to steal their peace of mind long after their loved ones have been laid to rest. These have prompted petitioners to ask: Is this the kind of life our children and the Filipino children, in general, will face— living in the shadow of fear and want? You might have noticed that what these community witnesses and those similarly-situated Filipinos want most from life is not riches or fame. They want what we all want: to feel safe, to have enough to eat, to have access to healthcare when they are sick, to have a home to lay their heads down every night, to have work, to get an education, to send their children to school so they might enjoy better lives, to pass their culture down to the next generation, to realize a dream. Freedom from fear, freedom from want— dignity. These are basic human rights, so basic that we cannot help but question why they seem to be such an elusive, far-fetched dream to many Filipinos. Some would call these hardships a tragedy; others would see in them the cruel hand of destiny. A narrative that has proven to be particularly pervasive is that everyone is responsible for the effects of climate change— and that no one, therefore, can be held accountable. But to take that view would be to ignore the responsibilities and obligations of those who have contributed more than anyone else to the climate crisis. The petitioners are boldly challenging this narrative and requesting that those most responsible be held accountable. "? See Exhibit “NNNNNNN” to “NNNNNNN-6,” Statement of Ms. Marielle Trixie J, Bacason, dated 22 October 2018. '8 See Transcript of Proceedings: National Inquiry on the Impact of Climate Change on the Human Rights of the Filipino People, and the Responsibility of the “Carbon Majors,” if any, Third Hearing, 29-30 August 2018, pp. 255-256 (hereinafter, “TSN dated 29-30 August 2018”), also available at: http://chr.gov.ph/wp- content/uploads/20 19/04/NICC-TSN-August-29-to-30-201 8-Metro-Manila-Philippines.pdf (last accessed on 12 September 2019). '4 See Exhibit “HH” to “HH-2,” Salaysay ni Gg. Ernesto C. Cruz, dated 16 March 2018. 'S See Exhibit “CCCCCCCCC” to “CCCCCCCCC-3,” Saysay ni Gng. Amalia Bahian, dated 03 December 2018 (Cebuano with English translation); and Exhibit “III” to “IIMIUI-4,” Salaysay ni Bb. Honeylyn A. Gonzales, dated 29 November 2018.