Father Edwin Gariguez, Protect VIP lead convenor, lauded Pola Mayor Jennifer “Ina Alegre” Cruz for her courage and concern for her people and reiterated the Naujan oil spill problem is not yet over.
Days before the second State of the Nation Address, Protect Verde Island Passage (Protect VIP) delivers the “State of the Oil Spill” in a press conference held on Wednesday, at the municipal hall in Pola, Oriental Mindoro province.
This is in response to the recent announcement of the Philippine Coast Guard of the completion of the oil removal and recovery operations in Naujan town.
Pola Mayor Cruz said she has not signed yet the document that supports the announcement of the PCG that oil removal was completed in Pola.
“The real situation in our place is there are still tarballs on the seashore that need to be cleaned up. I’m not the expert to say but this is what I see,” said Cruz.
This is why she said she cannot yet release the P200,000 budget for recovery of P4,800 people who are affected by the oil spill.
Fr. Gariguez cited that the clean-up is only on the surface level and there is no plan yet on rehabilitation.
He wished that a clear plan and budget, especially for Pola, will be mentioned in the coming SONA of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“There is still no just compensation and accountability,” added Gariguez.
The oil spill took place in VIP, which is the center of marine biodiversity, and it is important to protect it because vessels containing toxic substances continue to ply it, said Gariguez.
Cruz confirmed to the media that they are still pursuing the case against the owner of the vessel and the people behind it, with the help of the Department of Justice.
The MT Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank off Naujan waters on Feb. 28, which also affected the environment and livelihood of Palawan and Antique provinces.
Pola town was mostly affected and has been called “ground zero” of the oil spill.
In an assessment made by Oceans, Coastal Communities, and Climate Program of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) early this week, oil spill residues were sighted across the shoreline of Pola, adjacent to the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). - Madonna T. Virola
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