THE Department of Justice yesterday recommended that criminal charges be filed against the owner of M/T Princess and other individuals over the February 2023 sinking of the vessel that caused a massive oil spill along the coastline of Oriental Mindoro and parts of Batangas province.
The DOJ recommendation, coming on the heels of the complaints filed by Pola, Oriental Mindoro Mayor Jennifer Cruz and the National Bureau of Investigation-Environmental Crime Division, said RDC Reield Marine Services, the company that owns the ill-fated vessel, submitted falsified documents, including a Construction Certificate and Affidavit of Ownership.
Pola was among the towns that sustained the most damage from the oil spill.
“Following a comprehensive evaluation of affidavits and evidence, the panel of DOJ prosecutors uncovered irregularities in certain documents related to the construction and certificate of public convenience of M/T Princess Empress,” the DOJ said in a statement.
“Consequently, the panel has recommended the filing of charges against the corporate officers of M/T Princess, personnel of the Maritime Industry Authority, and a private individual for multiple counts of falsification of public documents and multiple use of falsified public documents,” the DOJ added.
But DOJ refrained from disclosing the names of those recommended to be charged, as of yesterday.
The ill-fated tanker, carrying around 900, 000 liters of industrial fuel, sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro due to engine trouble and rough seas.
The oil spill affected nearly a hundred thousand residents of Oriental Mindoro, prompting Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to order the NBI to conduct an investigation and find who was liable for the incident.
A total of 35 individuals were included in the initial NBI complaint filed in June 2023 before the DOJ, including the owners of MT Princess Empress, government regulators and officials of Marina and the Philippine Coast Guard.
The DOJ said the complaints against the other respondents were dismissed due to “lack of probable cause.”
Remulla assured that those responsible and charged for the oil spill would be held accountable.
“Negligence cannot be used as an excuse to destroy the environment and livelihood of people,” Remulla said in a statement. “It is important to be diligent on land and our waters.”
In April last year, Marina Deputy Administrator Sonia Malaluan said the agency found probable cause to file charges against the owner of MT Princess Empress.
Before that, MARINA issued a cease-and-desist order against RDC Reield Marine Services. Covered by the order were the company’s certificate of public convenience and its remaining three vessels — two tankers and a passenger vessel.
