While there are laws that limit a ship charterer’s responsibility in an oil spill, a company mouthing solidarity during the pandemic and beyond appeared to have lost its voice and its sense of community following the oil spill tragedy in Mindoro.
Considering the strong proof that San Miguel Corp. is responsible for the toxic cargo of the star-crossed MT Princess Empress, the Asian conglomerate has been amazingly keeping its distance and silence on the disaster that has afflicted the areas around Oriental Mindoro, including the ecological treasure Verde Island Passage.
During the pandemic, SMC’s battle cry was “Walang Iwanan,” which residents of the devastated communities are now waiting to be fulfilled.
Lately, reports from environmental monitors indicate that the polluting slick has reached the main tourist spot of Puerto Galera.
A Philippine Coast Guard report referred to an analysis by French outfit Cedre showing that the oil scooped from the sea off Mindoro is industrial fuel of the same quality found in the tank of the SL Harbor Bulk Terminal operated by a San Miguel subsidiary, San Miguel Lighterage and Shipping Corporation.
The oil samples were forwarded to the Center for Documentation, Research, and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution based in France by a French oil spill expert sent to Oriental Mindoro.
“Cedre compared the samples collected on the shoreline to two reference oil samples considered representative of the fuel onboard the MT Princess Empress before the accident — the first oil sample collected at sea in the direct vicinity of the wreck, and the second sample gathered from the tank of SL Harbor Bulk Terminal in Limay, Bataan, where the vessel acquired its industrial fuel oil,” the PCG report stated.
The sunken MT Princess Empress, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services, was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil that leaked and is now spreading in the waters off Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Palawan and Antique.
The catastrophe inflicted on nature had Oriental Mindoro bearing the brunt of its effect and the efforts to contain the damage had turned to the Verde Island Passage, a body of water between Batangas and Mindoro which is a global center of marine biodiversity.
Local governments in the affected areas reported a total of 37,871 families in 187 barangays in Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Palawan and Antique suffering the effects of the spill as a result of fishing bans and the negative impact on tourism.
Humanitarian and ecological groups said efforts to contain the oil spill and hold accountable those responsible for it should be speeded up as Puerto Galera’s waters were recently declared unsafe for swimming.
The economic disruption is happening in the middle of the summer peak season for tourists.
“Puerto Galera and other areas in the VIP affected by the oil spill are set to lose millions in expected income from tourism. The continued spread of the oil slick will cause more damage unless it is completely contained by the government. Damage already done must be compensated for by those responsible, whom the government must identify,” Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Protect Verde Island Passage convenor, said.
The chief ecology advocate in the area said residents rely on income brought by tourists who wish to see the beauty of the Verde Island Passage.
In total, Gariguez’s group estimated that communities have foregone P1 billion in income as a result of the spill, which would constitute a reasonable percentage share of the record P4.5-billion group income of the top Philippine corporation.
The company had said during the health emergency that it had responded to the challenge of helping the nation in times of need.
That promise seems to have lost its fizz like stale beer.