Nais ni Senador Francis Tolentino na magkaroon ng malalim na pagsisiyasat sa pinsala na dulot ng oil spill sa Mindoro noong nakaraang buwan na banta sa mga mangingisda, marine biodiversity at turismo.

Binanggit niya sa interpellation matapos ang kanyang privilege speech na ang oil spill mula sa motor tanker MT Princess Empress ay nakarating na sa pangisdaan at patuloy na kumakalat sa fishing breeding grounds. Ang insidente ng oil spill ay isang banta sa Verde Island Passage na tinatawag na “Center of the Marine Shorefish Biodiversity” at ang Western Visayas kung saan matatagpuan ang kilalang Boracay Island.

“Because the passageway from Mindoro to Romblon via the Verde Island Passage, it would mostly affect Oriental Mindoro and perhaps Boracay,” ayon kay Tolentino.

“Today, 18,000 fishermen lost their livelihood. If we fail to contain the oil spill, it will affect thousands more,” aniya.

Nababahala ang mambabatas na ang Mindoro oil spill ay maaaring mas malala pa sa insidente noong 2006 kung saan ang MT Solar-1 ay lumubog sa baybayin ng Guimaras na may 2.1 million na litro ng bunker fuel. 

“The current oil spill trajectory model by marine experts projected that approximately 20,000 hectares of coral reef, 9,900 hectares of mangroves, 6,000 hectares of seagrass may be affected and the oil spill may also potentially reach as far as the shores of Palawan,” aniya.

Naapektuhan ng 2006 Guimaras oil spill ang 1,500 na ektarya ng local ecosystem ng mga mangrove, seagrass at coral reefs, pati ang kabuhayan ng 20,000 na mangingisda at nangailangan ng mahabang panahon para sa rehabilitasyon. 

“The projection, Mr. President, right now coming from the local PDRRMO of Oriental Mindoro is that more than 10,000 families are already affected by the oil spill alone but this is an evolving story… as days, as hours pass by, we will have additional reports perhaps of a greater damage and I think the estimate right now is that it would pass the Guimaras oil spill,” ayon kay Tolentino.

Sinuportahan nina Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chair Cynthia Villar, at Senador Pia Cayetano ang panawagan ni Tolentino na magkaroon ng malalim na pagsisiyasat ng Mindoro oil spill.

Kasalukuyang sinusubukan na kontrolin ng mga awtoridad ang 800,000 na litro na tumagas mula sa lumubog na oil tanker. 76 na coastal barangay sa siyam na bayan sa Oriental Mindoro ang kasalukuyang nasa ilalim ng state of calamity.

“We have the obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment,” iginiit ni Tolentino.

Photo credit: Facebook/coastguardph