Compensation claims for Nueva Valencia fisherfolks still on process
Fisherfolks from the town of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras who were affected by the oil spill may incur delay in receiving their compensation claims.
This is because their municipal officials failed to return to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) the rectified copies of their compensation claim forms.
IOPCF Claims Manager Capt. Patrick Joseph said they have not received the rectified copies of the oil spill claim forms in Nueva Valencia as well the claimant's approval of the offer set by the organization on their claims. The rectified copies and the claimant's approval of the offer are used as basis for the issuance of checks.
The rectified or corrected copies of the claims which contain the names of the recipients are very important when issuing the check through Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). The organization wanted to make sure that the names written on the checks are correct.
His reaction was in relation to the clamor of oil spill victims in Nueva Valencia after the IOPCF have started to release the compensation claims of fisherfolks coming from the municipality of San Lorenzo. The IOPCF have allocated some P22 million for the oil spill victims in San Lorenzo.
Currently, the IOPCF is releasing the checks of claimants from San Lorenzo. There are 1,339 legitimate claimants in San Lorenzo. The releasing of checks for San Lorenzo oil spill victims started last Thursday at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. The team of IOPCF wanted to finish the releasing of checks before year ends.
Joseph said they have done their part as far as the processing and releasing of claims. He said they are just waiting on when the claimants could submit the rectified copies of the claim forms and their approval on the scheme proposed by the organization. They have also reminded the municipal government of Nueva Valencia of the rectified copies of the claim forms.
Joseph did not specifically named the official they are dealing with over the claims of the oil spill victims in Nueva Valencia. However, it was learned that the claims of the oil spill victims in Nueva Valencia is being facilitated by Mayor Diosadado Gonzaga and Gov. JC Rahman Nava.
Joseph said he has no idea on what caused the delay on the submission of corrected copies of claim forms to the IOPCF. He, however stressed the release of compensation claims will depend on the documents they have received.
"Politics" has nothing to do with the releasing of the claims of fisherfolks from San Lorenzo.
The organization's action based mainly on the documents they have. All the documents are authenticated and claimants are all legitimate, the same reason the claims were released, he said.