Quezon City — Environmental activists called on the government to lead the protection of communities in Guimaras Province after an oil spill affected Brgy. Hoskyn, Jordan, over the weekend1, with the incident posing risks to public safety, jobs, and natural resources. With the spill’s source still unknown, the group likewise called on state agencies to expedite fact-finding efforts to ensure that responsible actors are identified and held accountable.
Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Patrice Valero said:
“We demand the swift containment of the oil spill, with the government leading efforts to protect communities highly vulnerable to environmental incidents such as this. Affected residents and fisherfolk must be compensated both for immediate and long-term damages to health, livelihood, and biodiversity after those responsible are identified.
A day removed from Labor Day, we must recognize that further delays in containing the spill would inevitably mean taking away food from their table, as their community heavily depends on marine-based livelihoods to survive. This is not only a call for the government to protect the environment, but also to safeguard the people who depend on it.
Matuto na sana tayo sa huling major oil spill sa probinsya noong 2006.2 The victims of tanker M/T Solar 1—chartered by Petron—are still fighting to this day for full compensation due to damages to fishing and livelihood 20 years ago. Filipinos have grown tired of simply being resilient amid environmental emergencies, especially as they face economic shocks stemming from the current energy crisis.3
Similar to destructive oil spills in recent years, such as that of MT Princess Empress and M/T Terra Nova, this latest incident should highlight the vicious pattern of making vulnerable communities pay the price for our fossil fuel dependence. It’s about time that we break away from dirty energy sources that have only intensified the suffering of the people, especially the poorest of the poor.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and all relevant government agencies must also do what they can to identify those behind the spill, not just the immediate source of the oil but also the fossil fuel company behind it, so they can be held fully accountable under the law. Sila ang dapat na nagbabayad at pinapanagot sa pagkasira ng kalikasan at kahirapang dinaranas ng mga mamamayan, hindi ang karaniwang Pilipino.”
Notes to the editor:
[1] Oil spill in Guimaras town raises alarm over environmental damage
[2] Saving an island from the worst oil spill in the Philippines: The case of Guimaras
For more information and interview requests, please contact:
James Relativo, Communications Campaigner
Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines
[email protected] | +63919 069 3424
