Philippines: Fisherfolk Lawsuit Over 2023 Oil Spill Moves Forward After Court Defers Filing Fees

A Philippine court has allowed a class lawsuit filed by fisherfolk affected by the 2023 oil spill in the Verde Island Passage to proceed after granting their request to defer filing fees.

In an order issued on March 10, the Regional Trial Court in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, allowed the deferment of more than 500,000 pesos (about US$9,000) in filing fees that had previously been required from the petitioners.

The fisherfolk had filed a motion for reconsideration challenging a January 5 order that reversed an earlier ruling allowing the case to be filed without fees because it involved environmental damage.

The class suit, filed on December 9, 2025, represents dozens of fisherfolk from the coastal towns of Calapan, Pinamalayan, and Pola in Oriental Mindoro, communities among the hardest hit by the oil spill.

They are seeking compensation for the loss of livelihood and damage to marine ecosystems caused by the disaster.

One of the Philippines’ worst oil spills

The lawsuit stems from the sinking of the oil tanker MT Princess Empress in February 2023, which released large amounts of industrial fuel oil into the waters off Mindoro Island.

The spill affected several provinces surrounding the Verde Island Passage, a marine corridor between Luzon and Mindoro islands that scientists describe as one of the most biodiverse marine areas in the world.

The disaster disrupted fishing activities and tourism across the region, affecting thousands of fisherfolk and coastal families.

Named respondents in the lawsuit include: RDC Reield Marine Services, Inc., owner of MT Princess Empress; SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation, a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation and the vessel’s charterer; Shipowners’ Mutual Indemnity and Protection Association and International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC)

‘A small victory’

Aldrin Villanueva, president of the Koalisyon ng mga Mangingisdang Apektado ng Oil Spill (KMAOS), described the court’s decision as an important step for affected communities.

“It is disheartening that fisherfolk had to file a Motion for Reconsideration just for our pleas to be heard,” Villanueva said.

“Three years after the oil spill, many of us are still trying to recover while sinking deeper into debt. If we were forced to pay half a million pesos just to defend our rights, it would have been the same as denying us justice.”

Environmental case

In their motion, the petitioners argued that the filing fees should be deferred because the case falls under environmental litigation, citing the Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007.

Under the Philippine Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases, courts may allow the deferment of filing fees in cases involving environmental protection.

The court found the motion meritorious and allowed the lawsuit to move forward without requiring immediate payment.

For the fisherfolk, the decision is seen as a step toward accountability for one of the country’s most damaging recent marine disasters.