British music icon Sting has moved the location of his "Back to Bass Tour" concert from the SM Mall of Asia Arena to Smart Araneta Coliseum, after the singer himself learned of the planned uprooting of trees for the SM Baguio expansion last April.
The decision was made following a petition by environmentalists saying the original venue is owned by a conglomerate who plans to uproot 182 trees for a parking lot and mall expansion in the northern mountain city, AP reports.
In a statement, the SM Mall of Asia Arena said changing the location was "the decision of the artist himself," despite "exhausting all measures" for the concert to push through.
Sting is also known as an environmental activist and, together with his wife, established The Rainforest Foundation to protect tropical rainforests and their people.
Cheryl L. Daytec-Yangot, former legal counsel of the group Project Save 182, wrote a letter to Sting's camp about the alleged uprooting and appealed for a different venue.
"Sting, a voice of the oppressed, cannot sing in the halls of the oppressor," Daytec-Yangot said on her Facebook account.
The SM Mall of Asia Arena has released statement:
"The SM MOA Arena has nothing to do with the case in Baguio except for the fact that it is also under the same holding company as the Baguio branch. However, with this letter to Sting, it seems that the activists behind Project Save 182 are bent on taking down the SM brand in general."
It added: "With this successful move to stop Sting from holding the concert at SM MOA Arena, and referring to the venue as an 'oppressor', it is now looking more like the court battle has extended from saving trees, to ruining a corporate giant's reputation completely."
The concert date however will not be moved and will still be held on December 9, 2012. Those who have already purchased tickets will have a reserved tickets for exchange at the TicketNet office at the Araneta Coliseum starting October 25.
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