A group of environmental advocates, fisherfolk, and civil society groups on Wednesday raised concern over policy inadequacies in protecting the Philippines’ seas from oil spills and in exacting accountability from polluters, as fisherfolk affected by the 2023 spill in the Verde Island Passage (VIP) continue to seek compensation.
Protect Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP) issued the call following the filing of another demand letter filed by oil spill-affected fisherfolk in Oriental Mindoro with the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC). This, weeks after another oil spill was set in motion in Manila Bay by the sinking of 3 tankers due to rough sea conditions - the biggest of which, MT Terra Nova, was carrying 1.5 million liters of industrial oil.
“Oil spill-affected communities in the VIP have been struggling for over a year now - for their survival amid fishing bans at the time, and for proper compensation up to this day. Now, another tanker is spilling millions in gallons of toxic cargo onto our seas, chartered by the same San Miguel Corporation subsidiary that chartered the sunken ship in Mindoro. All this is a difficult yet stark reminder of how inadequate current policies are in guarding against maritime pollution and holding polluters liable, such that they have no qualms in becoming repeat offenders,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead Convenor of Protect VIP.
Three months after an initial demand letter filed to the IOPC for similar grounds, oil spill-affected fisherfolk still have not received compensation commensurate with their loss of income.
“Nakikiisa kami sa mga mangingisda at pamilyang apektado sa Manila Bay. Kapwang dapat mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima ng oil spill galing sa MT Princess Empress at Terra Nova. Sa Mindoro, higit isang taon na kaming nawalan o ‘di kaya’y kapos ang kinikita, at hindi pa rin bumabalik sa dati ang huli. May dumating man na danyos-perwisyo, hindi iyon sapat para bigyang-hustisya ang lahat ng pinsalang dinanas namin, at ang iba ngang mangingisda ay talagang wala pang natanggap. Nagsampa ng panibagong demand letter ang mga kasamahan ko dahil hindi sapat ang i-ilang libo na saglit lang ay ubos na, lalo pa at marami sa amin ay may mga utang din na hinuhulugan,” said Aldrin Villanueva, president of Koalisyon ng mga Mangingisdang Apektado ng Oil Spill (KMAOS) in Oriental Mindoro.
[“We feel the difficulties of those affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Terra Nova. As fellow fishermen, we call for justice for those affected by both the MT Princess Empress and Terra Nova oil spills. For us in Oriental Mindoro, we have lost a year’s worth of income, and our fish catch has yet to return to normal. Despite filing a demand letter with the IOPC last May, the compensation we received remains insufficient, while some have not received anything at all. My fellow fishermen filed another complaint because a few thousand pesos is not enough and it will just be gone in no time, especially since many of us are also still repaying debts.”
As the struggle for compensation continues, Protect VIP said that environmental authorities should hasten in implementing stringent policies to protect seas and coastal communities from toxic cargo and polluting activities. Last August 9, the Court of Appeals issued a decision to a Continuing Mandamus case filed by members of Protect VIP, mandating the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to respond about the concerns on the water quality of the VIP and to release pertinent guidelines for the designation of non-attainment areas (NAAs) in accordance with the two decade-old Clean Water Act.
“Based on independent assessments in areas either affected by the Mindoro oil spill or located around fossil gas facilities along the coasts of Batangas, deterioration of water quality has been observed in the VIP. We urge the DENR to adhere to the court’s mandate with haste. Guidelines on designating NAAs and disallowing new sources of pollution are already long overdue and essential for protecting the VIP, Manila Bay, and other water bodies in our country that are already facing pollution threats,” said Atty. Ticia Soresca, Deputy Head for Legal of Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED).