Polibiz
Oil spill: A crime against humanity
The oil spill in Guimaras Island contaminating other coastal provinces nearby is a classic example of a man-made calamity. Its catastrophic effect may perhaps linger in many, many years to come.
To be blunt about it Petron Oil Company should take the blame for all this mess and stop passing the buck to others to save their ass.
The oil spill has now created a destructive effect to our environment, costs thousands of Guimarasnons their jobs especially those whose only source of livelihood depends from the bounty of the sea.
Affected fisherfolks and other residents along the coastal areas including Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces are raising hell when they could no longer make a decent catch from fishing since the start of the catastrophe weeks ago.
In other instances birds of different species and other aquatic marine lives are found dead in Guimaras swamps obviously as a result of contamination brought about by the oil spill.
This is no ordinary natural calamity we used to experience year in and year out caused by the wrath of mother-nature. What started as a simple act of human misdemeanor, an unimaginable magnitude of an environmental disaster took place in exchange.
In retrospect, Guimaras then was a haven of the famous sweet mangoes exported abroad initiated by former Governor Emily Lopez. The possibility of contaminating the entire mango plantation by the oil fume through the air is something creepy.
Even their tourism industry recently promoted by WOW Philippines is greatly affected. The province is now facing a bleak future ahead.
No wonder Governor Rahman Nava failed to control his emotions in a recent radio interview over Aksyon Radio as he narrated the destruction caused by the oil spill in his province.
People may not aware of this but the oil slick is believed to have contained toxic substances which could even be harmful to human beings when directly inhaled or in skin contact for a prolonged period. This has been confirmed when one of the residents living along the coastline died a week ago according to reports. The victim, diagnosed an asthmatic patient, had suffered respiratory failure triggered by the acrid smell coming from the oil spill which remained sticking to stones beside their shanty house brought by high tide.
Ironically, Petron refused to take legal responsibility over the "accident" and passed the bucket to the oil tanker they commissioned to ferry their cargo bound to Zamboanga.del Sur. "Let their insurance handle the expenses for the consequences of their error," the statement they seemed to convey with defiance.
The effect of the oil spill to our environment is equally destructive if not worst than that of terrorism. Yet Petron officials like Judas have the nerve to wash their hands to get away from compensating people affected by the oil spill and the damages it has done to our environment.
The amount of the oil spill released from the sunken MV Solar I is less than ten percent out of the 2 million liters load located down the depth of the Guimaras Strait. One can just imagine the horror once the remaining oil compartments eventually explode due to pressure in the depth if the attempt to salvage the subject may still take sometime. If this is the will of God, then this is too much for us Ilonggos to take as a form of punishment for whatever sins we had committed in the past
Meanwhile, Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr. and City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas made an urgent call to our fellow Ilonggos to donate indigenous materials to utilize as oil absorbent to clean up and prevent further the spread of the oil spill along the coastline.
On the part of Petron the least it can do is to cease releasing paid advertisements and sanitizing the truth making it appear the oil spill in the Visayas is just a drop in a bucket. Shame on you! May lightning struck upon you!
Let me tell you this right on your face, no amount of cosmetic journalism can make your image in public sweet and fresh.
In the eyes of the Guimarasnons, you are guilty as charged.
To prove her love for the Guimarasnons in particular, and to all the Ilonggos in general, no less, than Her Excellency, Madame President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came the second time to the disaster site in a span of two days apart. She felt morally obligated to extend urgent help to people whom she owed a lot putting her in the pedestal of political power. Hence, she and her cabinet stayed overnight and interacted with the Guimarasnons and members of the local and national media as well last Monday, August 28, 2006.
Her primary concern for the time being is to help Guimaras back to its feet. Legal concerns will come later.
As it is, no matter which angle one would look at it, Petron has committed a crime against humanity.