Justice in Guimaras, Philippines!

SOLIDARITY STATEMENT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN GUIMARAS

On August 11, 2006 a single-hull vessel contracted by Petron Oil Company, carrying 528,000 gallons of industrial bunker oil, sunk off of the west coast of Guimaras, a Visayan island province of the Philippines. The ensuing spill has already contaminated hundreds of kilometers of coastline with heavy sticky oil in Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental, and the oil continues to spread. Meanwhile, Petron and the Philippine Government have been slow to respond.

Relief efforts initiated by local people and non-government organizations have begun. While this response is important for temporarily sustaining affected communities, these parties should not be responsible for cleaning up Petron’s mess, nor is it safe for ill-equipped, untrained people to do the difficult job of cleaning badly contaminated shorelines.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, says she is committed to prosecuting those responsible for the incident. We hope the Republic of the Philippines will stand by this promise and take responsibility as part owner of Petron Corporation, while holding co-owner, Saudi Aramco, equally responsible. As owners of Petron Corporation these parties should be held accountable for prompt implementation of thorough cleanup, long-term remediation and monitoring of environmental impacts, and compensation for the 40,000 people of Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Islands who have been displaced.

A spill of this magnitude will have long-term consequences on the environment. Considering that even small amounts of oil remaining in the sediment will poison marine life, remediation and monitoring should include tests to determine the safety of fish and shellfish for human consumption. We urge the Government of the Philippines to further respond to this catastrophe by developing its internal capacity for emergency response to disasters such as this, and take necessary steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future. We are concerned with ensuring Petron's diligent response to the recent spill, especially because we have already seen examples of Petron failing to exercise such diligence in spite of equal potential for harm.

The oil spill is a reminder of the many hazards associated with oil industry operations, not just transport, but also storage and distribution. For example, Petron, along with two other major oil companies, Caltex and Shell, operate a major oil depot on the shore of the Pasig River in Pandacan, Manila. There is no real buffer zone between the depot and the over 80,000 Pandacan residents who are regularly exposed to hazardous chemicals that are detrimental to human health. Spills on the Pasig River and within the depot have occurred, even within the last six months. It is just fortunate that there have not been fires or explosions. A major fire in the depot could rapidly devastate the surrounding community, doing damage even more rapid than the damage resulting from the recent spill in the communities of Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental. To prevent another national calamity we appeal to the Philippine government for immediate implementation of Manila City Ordinance 8027, which calls for the removal of the depot.

Justice can only be achieved if Petron Corporation and its owners are held accountable for the catastrophic spill and environmental protection!

Signatories
Filipino/ American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity (FACES)
Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
Amazon Watch
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
Oakland, CA, U.S.A.

Fenceline Community for Human Safety &Environmental Protection
Pandacan, Manila, Philippines

United Front to Oust Oil Depots (UFO-OD)
Pandacan, Manila, Philippines

SIGN ON to an international petition that demands immediate action at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/Guimaras/petition.html