EDITORIAL

CALL FOR GREEN JUSTICE
STATEMENT ON THE GUIMARAS OIL SPILL

Filipinos are deeply concerned that a socio-environmental disaster of this magnitude happened mainly due to negligence and incompetence.
They are disappointed in the absence of appropriate measures for the mitigation of coastal disasters and the sluggish response of the national government agencies even as adverse impact immediately hit both the people and the ecosystem in Guimaras.
The nation has demonstrated an exemplary act of PAGKAKAISA in the cleanup and conduct of emergency response ground activities. Those who have responded from the Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Network – either directly or indirectly – have been inspired by the many acts of heroism and unity of Filipinos, especially in times such as this oil spill. We know that a ray of light is shining in Guimaras.
While we believe that the immediate response for health, livelihood and environmental rehabilitation of Guimaras should be the focus of our current efforts, we also believe that KATARUNGAN is an equally important call people must deal concurrently with the rebuilding of Guimaras. The recent declaration of a state of national calamity tells us that the government recognizes that any further leakage from the remaining oil tank underwater increases the life-long effects to our ecosystem and public health. The slick has already damaged conservation areas, killed marine life, destroyed livelihood resources, created an epidemic, cost millions of taxpayers’ money since August 11, and disrupted community life in Guimaras and nearby areas.
The declaration is also a sign of the national government’s lack of resolve to handle cases of corporate pollution. Four oil spills in a span of 8 months have already occurred — 364,120 liters in Semirara Island in December last year, 2 million liters in the waters of Guimaras on August 11 this year, and 3 days thereafter, 400 liters off the coast of Subic, and the latest is in Oriental Misamis. As the nation miserably grapples with the calamities, oil giants including Petron, raised their crude prices three days after the incident in Guimaras.
We believe that a call for corporate accountability should be resolved now and not later. Coastal pollution does not affect us temporarily nor in seclusion from other life systems; it accumulates over time, causing possibly irreversible damages to human as well as to the ecosystem on which the poorest depends on for food, livelihood and sustenance. For all these, we believe corporate polluters must be liable for the short and long-term damages on our natural resources, people’s well-being and economic sustainability.
People call for adequate risk-reduction measures, sustained rehabilitation of affected areas, and a transparent and quick prosecution of accountable parties, particularly of Petron. And while an immediate clean-up should be done, resolution of the root of the problems should not be delayed. For a meaningful solution of the problem, the Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) Network proposes the following measures:
· Immediately lift the sunken oil tanker off Guimaras’ and Misamis Oriental’s waters.
· Provide adequate medical attention and health education to the affected communities.
· Allow the participation of civil society in the inter-agency investigation to determine accountable parties and accelerate the prosecution process.
· Make the private sectors involved liable for short and long-term damages on people’s well-being and biodiversity. Petron’s private rights to partake in production and trade, should not impede on the collective rights to development and individual rights to health and livelihood. Initially, we must monitor Petron’s commitments to give long-term assistance to Guimaras as a matter of moral, social and legal responsibility.
· Establish a system for monitoring and valuation of the short and long-term impacts on environment, individuals and communities.
· Map a long-term rehabilitation plan for the environment, health and livelihood of Guimaras and nearby areas with unconditional and substantial resources from the private sector and donor agencies.
Incorporate risk-reduction strategies in development planning, and establish measures to minimize the impacts of disasters such as: risk-maps for coastal areas and review of current shipping routes and new options for vessels with hazardous cargos; trust funds for oil spills; adequate disaster-response technologies; enforcement of the Philippine National Oil Spill Contingency Plan; and legislation of a law on double hulls for hazardous cargo and amendments to raise penalties for environmental pollution.
We call for Filipinos to carry on with exemplary acts of unity until the crucial stages of rehabilitation and until the end of the investigation process for green justice have been met. Let us collectively work towards the restoration of nature’s balance for our health and well-being spring from it. MAGKAISA TAYO PARA SA MABILIS AT MAKATARUNGANG PAGBANGON NG GUIMARAS, KABILANG ANG MAMAMAYAN AT KALIKASAN. /MPmailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com