The immediate casualty of the Manila Bay oil spill, which is worsening contrary to the initial assurance of authorities that it has been contained and will have a minimal impact on the environment, is the livelihood of Filipinos who depend on the bounty of the seas.

Fishermen in Bataan, for instance, said their fishing nets have become useless after these were contaminated with oil slicks from the sunken tankers.

A class suit is being considered against the owners of the three vessels responsible for the oil spill. Fishermen are being assisted in filing a complaint against the owners of the vessels “and others” responsible for the disaster, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

The others whom Remulla referred to will hopefully include the charterer, which is the same company involved in last year’s Oriental Mindoro oil spill but which evaded responsibility as a result of loopholes in the law on accountability for an oil spill.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has initiated a probe on the sinking of the MT Terranova and the MTKR Jason Bradley, and the grounding of the MV Mirola 1, off Bataan that all took place at the time heavy rains brought by Typhoon “Carina” and the southwest monsoon were battering the area.

The filing of cases against those responsible will be continuous, according to Remulla. We saw a crime committed. We’re not talking about an accident here but a crime committed against our people and the environment,” the DoJ chief said.

Based on initial findings, all three vessels were interconnected, particularly the first two, and the DoJ will come up with recommendations that Remulla said will be made public in due time. Fishing restrictions have been imposed in the waters of Limay and other towns of Bataan.

Initial estimates put the losses from the oil spill at P12 million a day for Cavite alone, according to the province’s governor, Jonvic Remulla, the justice secretary’s brother.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources declared a “no catch zone” in Tanza, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate towns in Cavite initially for one week due to contamination from the toxic fuel spreading in the waters.

The Cavite governor fears that if the restriction would last three months like the Oriental Mindoro incident, losses to the fisherfolk would total P1 billion, resulting in widespread displacement.

DoJ’s Remulla said the government will make sure that insurance payments will be made to those affected by the environmental disaster. The insurer is already involved in the salvage operations, he added.

The justice secretary is insistent that not only compensation for the victims but justice is rendered to the Filipino people as a result of a crime.

Oil smuggling eyed

An independent source said the DoJ is investigating if the three vessels were involved in oil smuggling.

The so-called “paihi” system has reportedly been going on for a long time in the area of the accidents.

“Paihi” is a smuggling operation where fuel is surreptitiously transferred from a tanker to smaller vessels to avoid paying taxes.

The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that the oil cargo suspected of being illegally transferred was owned by the conglomerate that also owned the oil in the Mindoro incident.

The DoJ got a bead on the smuggling angle after questions cropped up on what the three vessels were still doing out in open waters as super typhoon Carina and the monsoon were battering the region.

The smuggling operation happened while the tankers were anchored under cover of the rain, the source said. The smaller tanker would then deliver the smuggled fuel to different parts of the country.

The billion-peso question is: Was the charterer aware of a crime being committed? The DoJ is now in the process of finding out.

Accountability must be exacted without favor since the livelihood of 30,000 fishermen and the welfare of Metro Manila and other residents who will suffer higher prices of marine products, if not a shortage, are on the line.