MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos Jr. is now being pressured to phase out the use of fossil fuel in the country and instead shift to renewable energy following the onslaught of the Bataan oil spill last month.
“The government should urgently phase out fossil fuels to prevent further environmental and climate destruction and to protect communities. It’s impossible to fully clean up an oil spill, and ecosystems never completely recover,” Greenpeace Campaigner Jefferson Chua said during the Senate hearing
The group criticized the owner of MTKR Terranova, a subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage Corporation. This company is linked to the MT Princess Empress oil spill in Mindoro last year, which resulted in more than 800,000 liters of oil leaking into the Naujan coast.
“These two oil spill disasters which are only one year apart can be indicative of lack of due diligence and care on the part of the cargo owner, which is fully aware of the serious risks posed by its oil cargo,” he said
According to the group, the government needs to review and update laws and policies to ensure cargo owners are held accountable for clean-up, rehabilitation, and compensation following oil spills.
Local government units and government agencies are currently managing the spill in areas affected including the relief operations for affected fisherfolks. While the shipper has sent a salvor to manage the recovery operations of the sunken tanker, the group said the owner should “come out in the open” and compensate communities and the local government for the damage brought upon by the oil spill.
“Unless the companies involved are held fully accountable, it is the government that will shoulder the costs for ‘clean-up,’ recovery, and long-term rehabilitation of the ecosystems and communities impacted, in effect cleaning up and paying for the pollution private companies have caused, he said.
Chua said that the government must protect valuable fisheries management areas from industrial impacts by enforcing strict regulations on vessels carrying hazardous materials like oil.
The Philippine Coast Guard has yet to respond on the possible cases to be filed against the owners of the sunken Terra Nova since “efforts” are geared towards the containment of the oil inside the sunken tanker.
The lawsuit will be filed once the shipper’s negligence is confirmed and recovery operations are underway, the PCG said.
Authorities are now looking into the oil smuggling involvement of the owners, saying it’s one of the “possibilities” and adding that the “paihi” scheme might be one of the reasons for its sinking.
The “paihi” scheme is a process of transferring oil from a larger vessel into smaller ones at sea to avoid paying taxes.
Owners of the sunken tanker MTKR Terranova earlier refuted the allegations saying they are not oil smugglers. Reports from the PCG also showed that based on the crew members’ accounts, the tanker experienced adverse weather conditions going to Iloilo.
The tanker was given permission to leave since there were no public storm warning signals raised in the area during the time of its departure, the PCG said.
On July 25, the MTKR Terranova sank off the coast of Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan carrying over 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, killing a crew member.
Two other tankers sank and ran aground just days after the Terranova tanker sank, which also raised the alarm of environmental groups as it affects the lives of fishermen and the ecosystem in the area.
As of August 7, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported a P78.69 million income loss due to the Bataan oil spill, affecting 28,373 out of an estimated 46,090 fisherfolk.
