THE Philippines may get up to $284 million from the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds that can be made available to those affected by the oil spill caused by the sinking of the oil tanker MT Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro last February, an official of the Department of Justice said yesterday.
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said residents whose livelihoods were affected by the oil spill could get compensated through the IOPC funds.
“The maximum coverage for the oil spill as based on the IOPC would only be up to 203 million Special Drawing Rights, or in US dollars, it would be around $284 million,” Vasquez told ABS CBN News Channel.
“It would cover all of the areas affected. This would include fisherfolks and even government agencies,” he added.
He said agencies such as the Office of Civil Defense, DENR and the Philippine Coast Guard would evaluate and determine how much of the claim would go to the government.
The IOPC was created by the 1992 Civil Liability Convention and the 1992 Fund Convention. It provides financial compensation caused by oil pollution that occurs in member-states due to oil spills.
The Philippines is one of the member-states of the treaty. As a member-state, the Philippines contributes to the fund and is entitled to compensation.
IOPC Director Gaute Silvertsen visited the areas affected by the oil spill last Tuesday and assured local officials of compensation, particularly the affected residents and fisherfolks.
“We will concentrate on fisherfolk and those who are most in need and then we will offer settlements as soon as possible,” Sivertsen said after attending an interagency meeting on the issue.
WRIT OF KALIKASAN
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the department may push for a writ of kalikasan against those involved in the oil spill if the concerned parties fail to act to address the problem.
Though he did not mention names, Remulla said “whoever has to account will account through the writ of kalikasan if they did not do anything in the next 10 days.”
A writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy that provides for the protection of one’s right to “a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature,” as provided for in Section 16, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Remulla said government regulatory agencies may be included in the writ.
“You have to look at the regulatory bodies that are involved and make sure that they are doing their job because sometimes it’s failure of governance that’s contributory to the incident that happened. Tamaan na ang tamaan,” he said.
The DOJ has tapped the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the liability of the ship owner and others involved in the sinking.
Early this month, Maritime Industry Authority Deputy Administrator Sonia Malaluan said they have found probable cause to file charges against the owner of the sunken oil tanker.
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has recommended continued fishing bans in municipalities affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, saying its analysis of food safety for produce caught in the area remained inconclusive.
The agency said fish samples collected and analyzed from select sites in Oriental Mindoro last April 10 showed significant increases in amounts of oil and grease but added they are still within the standard of less than three milligrams per liter of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) water classification and use.
BFAR added that low-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in all fish samples from Oriental Mindoro collected on April 3 while PAH accumulation was observed in samples collected from the municipalities of Bongabong and San Teodoro.
The agency said further tests will be implemented to confirm if PAH accumulation is taking place in marine organisms collected from the province.
BFAR said PAHs are considered harmful to humans and other living organisms and may accumulate in the flesh of marine organisms over time while seaweeds and other sessile organisms have greater chances of accumulating PAHs due to their immobility.
BFAR also recommended that fishing activities be allowed in select sites in Caluya, Antique, particularly in Sitio Sabang, Barangay Tinogboc, Sitio Sigayan, Sitio Toong, Barangay Semirara, Sitio Liwagao, Barangay Sibolo and adjacent deeper waters.
But the bureau wants shellfish gathering and seaweed harvesting disallowed in affected areas since these organisms may have greater exposure to oil spill contaminants.
Water samples collected from Caluya, Antique last March 28 passed the DENR standard for oil and grease while fish samples collected from the province last April 11 showed no signs of oil tainting through organoleptic analyses.
But signs of oil tainting were observed on shellfish samples and seaweed samples previously subjected to laboratory analysis., BFAR said it has allocated P4.4 million worth of livelihood assistance in the form of post-harvest technology packages that will benefit 10 fisherfolk associations and cooperatives or 689 families.
About P1.5 million was also earmarked for the provision of food assistance to 5,000 affected fisherfolk in Mimaropa while P580,500 was spent to help displaced fishing groups in Western Visayas.
BFAR has also deployed monitoring, control and surveillance vessels, as well as personal protective equipment sets and other materials for clean-up activities, apart from interventions based on rehabilitation proposals from oil spill-hit areas. — With Jed Macapagal
