TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite—Provincial Governor Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla, Jr. formally met for the first time with lawyers and representatives of MT Terranova, the oil tanker that sank in Bataan and caused a massive oil spill to the coastal areas of Cavite.
The meeting stemmed from the Inter Agency Meeting at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Taft Avenue, Manila on Monday, August 5, 2024 for the established fact-finding committee, which will investigate whether the management of MT Terranova has criminal liabilities.
According to DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano IV, the meeting includes representatives of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC) or similar insurance companies in oil spills like this.
However, the official shared that just from the story of the Philippine Coast Guard in relation to the sinking of the MT Terranova, they already see many problems.
According to Remulla’s statement, they agreed that MT Terranova will compensate 31,000 fisherfolk throughout the coastal waters of the province of Cavite, who were affected by the oil spill and lost their jobs.
The 31,000 include fishermen, mussel farmers, tinapa producers, fish vendors and fishmongers. It is estimated that it will take almost three months before the distribution of cash assistance begins due to the data validation that will be carried out.
Initial assessments see the company allocating between P9- to 12-million pesos per day for the compensation fund. This covers the period when the province declared a state of calamity until the days when the affected fishermen and shopkeepers are unable to return to their livelihoods.
Remulla also assured that there was no discussion or settlement between them, and that the problem of the affected residents will not end with the insurance claim. If criminal negligence is found, MT Terranova will still be held accountable.
The governor said they are still waiting for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) notification on the tests carried out to see if the seaweed is safe to eat. Pending the test results, the ban on mussels, oysters and other types of seafood remains enforced.
One of the problems that Remulla sees is bringing the confidence level back of people as soon as BFAR and public health authorities clear the edibility of certain types of seafood after the oil spill is contained.
He believes, just like what happened in Puerto Galera during the Mindoro Oil Spill, it might also take almost three months before the confidence level of the public was restored and get them into eating fish and seafood again.
