Arroyo orders Guimaras task force to step up medical aid

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has instructed Task Force Guimaras to step up medical assistance and seal off shorelines affected by the oil slick to prevent loiterers from being exposed to health risks, her spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.

The order came amid reports that more than 700 coastal villagers exposed to the bunker fuel oil that leaked from the sunken MT Solar 1 were suffering from “oil spill-related diseases or symptoms.”

Bunye said the Department of Health was also beefing up the number of health workers attending to the medical needs of the local residents and clean-up workers.

Meanwhile, Petron Corp. said on Thursday that representatives of the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund, its insurer for oil spill incidents, have started conducting workshops to facilitate the claims process on up to nearly $322 million that will be available for victims of the Guimaras oil spill.

“In line with our commitment to bring relief to the people of Guimaras as soon as possible, we have urged IOPC to immediately process the claims made by the victims of the Solar I incident,” said Nicasio Alcantara, chairman and chief executive officer of Petron.

Petron, the country’s largest oil refiner, chartered the tanker Solar I that sunk off the central Philippines island-province of Guimaras last August 11. The ill-fated vessel was contracted to transport two million liters of bunker fuel from Bataan to Zamboanga.

(For the full story, click Medical aid and Claims, Sept. 7, 2006.)

Petron denies bribing media

By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan

A TOP official of Petron Corporation denied Wednesday allegations that they are bribing media people, both in Manila and Western Visayas, by giving them P500 each daily, to contain adverse publicity against their company regarding the Guimaras oil spill.

“This is not true,” stressed Jose Campos, Petron’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing, in a press conference held at the L’Fisher Hotel Wednesday morning.

Reports on alleged Petron’s bribery scattered in the Internet via www.projectsunshine.org

The web site also posted blogs alleging Petron’s pleas for innocence. But Campos said these were all baseless.

“If we are giving P500 to each of the mediaman from Manila, Bacolod and Iloilo that covers the oil spill issue, perhaps, we haven’t suffered from bad publicity since the start of the oil spill on August 11, he said.

“Maybe we can offer food or sort of snacks for the media people but not basically cash,” he added.

(For more Petron PR lines, click Denial King, Sept. 7, 2006.)

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IS Joey Campos stupid or just acting stupid? Read his friend’s comment in my post on Sept. 6 regarding story “Worst of oil spill behind us”.

Of course no one actually believed that Petron would admit bribing reporters, especially with just P500. But it’s good the question was asked. Of course, the going rate for reporters and desk editors in Manila to tweak or kill a story like this is nowhere near P500.

Maybe it’s just semantics. The allegation is that Petron has been “trying” to bribe the local reporters. There was no allegation that anyone actually accepted the money as most of the reporters usually return it to Petron’s lackey. And if you notice, the local reporters continue to write their truthful stories.

However, Joey should ask his PR consultant why she keeps on boasting that she has “spoken” with certain Manila-based newspapers, whose editors she feels she is close to. In this business, when a PR uses terms like “spoke” or “talked to” or the Tagalog equivalent, “nakausap ko na,” everyone understands that there was more than just spit that was exchanged.

Of course, there is no actual proof of this financial exchanges. No editor or reporter in his right mind would sign any piece of paper just to enable the PR to liquidate her media “expenses.” But as far as the turn of the stories have gone here in Manila, and I read all of them ’til my eyes are crossed believe me! there has been a subtle but perceptive change in their flavor towards Petron. In fact, a lot of stories from the provinces don’t make it anymore to the pages of the Manila papers most of us trust. We wonder why, but then again, not.

The truth about the ‘gag order’

LITTLE birdies in the field told me that the gag ordered on the Philippine Coast Guard by the Presidentita through Lito Coscolluela, presidential adviser on Western Visayas, came about because of, ironically, the good work done by the Coast Guard officers.

It had been reported that last Saturday, Sept. 2, the Coast Guard found two crew members of the tugboat hired by Petron Corp. to tow barges filled with sludge and garbage from Guimaras, with fake licenses. Apparently this got the goat of Petron officials who ran to the Presidentita, their patron, for intervention. In other words, nagsumbong ang mga bata sa mommy nila sa Malacañang! Mommie dearest of course, called Coscolluela to do something.

Well do something he did, my sources tell me, and threatened the top brass of the Coast Guard outfit in Western Visayas that they would be fired from their posts! Hence, Coast Guard officials are no longer talking nor briefing media about the oil spill. It’s not as if these honest and upstanding officers are paid millions of bucks for their trouble…working hard despite the lack of equipment and vessels. Can you blame them for going along with the gag order?

Petty politics played by Petron officials and Coscolluela will not clean up the spill faster nor rehabilitate Guimaras today. It will only exacerbate matters since the truth will always be revealed no matter how people, with only their interests at heart, try to hide it. And so far, they have not been successful.

Obviously we all know who the Presidentita is really siding with. And it’s sure as hell not the Guimarasnons.

Stop using chemical dispersants – WWF

By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY

GUIMARAS – The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Philippines called for a halt in the use of chemical dispersants to clean the oil slick in the shores and waters of Guimaras.

Chemical dispersants hasten the cleanup but are hazardous to human health and the environment, said Lory Tan, president of WWF Philippines.

WWF is a global conservation, research, environmental advocacy, and restoration organization.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Petron Corp. have been using chemical dispersants since the cleanup started.

During the weekend, the Nueva Valencia PNP and Bantay Dagat in Brgy. Guiwanon confiscated five power sprayers of Petron used for cleaning coastal lines affected by the oil spill.

Nueva Valencia town is the hardest hit by the oil spill caused by the sinking of Sunshine Marine Development Corp.’s M/T Solar 1 carrying a load of two million liters of bunker fuel owned by Petron.

Click Panay News for the full story, Sept. 7, 2006.)

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CRIPES! Now you’re saying this? Weren’t you at the site from the beginning Mr. Tan? Coast Guard and Petron have been using these dispersants since the cleanup began, so why didn’t you speak up then?Joskopo!

Was it really much nicer walking along the beach with the Presidentita yesterday? Hmmm?

Grief and Grime in Guimaras

Mangrove roots effected by oil slick on Guimaras Island. Source: Greenpeace (http://www.greenpeace.org)

By Rep. Nereus Acosta

ABOARD a Coast Guard helicopter, the aerial view of Guimaras and its lush islets is one vast expanse of sheer beauty. Sen. Pia Cayetano, Rep. Miles Roces and I were on a joint congressional inspection of the area. Spread before us was the Taklong Marine Sanctuary in the southeastern tip of the island, a declared protected seascape of thriving mangrove forests, unspoiled reefs and rich fishing grounds.

That is why the devastating oil spill off the island’s southern coast is nothing short of heart-rending. The oil slick emanating from the sunken MT Solar I is a ghastly swath on the waters of Guimaras Strait, ominously snaking its way into pristine coves and inlets. Gov. Rahman Nava was reduced to tears as he earnestly made a public appeal to save his province, grieving over the catastrophe that has befallen an island internationally-recognized for its sustainable fisheries and ecosystems protection programs. On land, we visited a barangay where volunteers and local folk were frantically scooping thick black sludge from beaches and tidal flats with rudimentary tools and with little protective gear. The stench from the low-grade bunker fuel was noxious. The look on their faces was of weariness and seeming despair.

For the entire piece, click neric-grief-and-grime.pdf.

From our mailbox…Donation update

Visayan Sea Squadron update (from Lette Teodosio)

YESTERDAY, Sept. 6, 2006, The Visayan Sea Squadron composed of Atty. Hector Teodosio and Benny Magallanes, docked at Jordan, Guimaras, and delivered donations to Gov. Nava.

A second shipment of donations has also been sent out this week which will be delivered once it arrives Iloilo, among which includes 100 masks, 75 gloves and used clothing.

In line with recent reports, we encourage donors to send coconut husk and rice straw in lieu of human hair. We also encourage donations of canned goods, food items and used clothing as we enter the second phase of our drive.

We thank you all for helping us make a difference!

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GOOD news for once! Keep those donations coming people. Guimaras needs our help.

Please check out Lette’s site and Save Guimaras on more ways to assist in the donation drive.

Findings on Solar 1 sinking out Friday; GMA vows no whitewash

ILOILO CITY — Experts will come out with their recommendations on what to do with the sunken tanker Solar I by tomorrow, the Coast Guard said yesterday.

“They’re still studying it (the underwater footage),” Coast Guard commander Vice Adm. Arthur Gosingan said yesterday. “The findings and the recommendations will be in by Friday at the earliest.”

At Malacañang, President Arroyo vowed yesterday that there will be no whitewash in the investigation into the oil spill that devastated vast fishing grounds and marine reserves off Guimaras island.

“As we clean up the coast of Guimaras with all the intensity we can muster, we will make sure that there will be no whitewash in ferreting out the truth behind the accident,” she told Guimaras local officials. The Philippine Star 09/07/2006

(For the full story, click Findings, and Freeman, Sept. 7, 2006.)

It may take time to address issue of sunken tanker

THE SOUTHERN BEAT By Rolly Espina
The Philippine Star 09/07/2006

A key official of the Petron Corp. yesterday doused cold water on those advocating for a speedy solution on what to do with the sunken MT Solar I amid the demands of provincial officials of Negros Occidental that it be salvaged as soon as possible.

Jose Campos and R. del Rosario pointed out to local mediamen in a press conference at the L’Fisher Hotel that the recommendations of the Fakada Salvage Company still has to be submitted to Petron and the Coast Guard.

This, in turn, will have to be processed by the insurance firm and must get the nod of the Philippine government. In short, even a timeframe of three months may be too early, pointed out the Petron officials.

Solar I, it was pointed out, was insured with a foreign firm for about $30 million.

More important is that the cargo was insured by P and I Insurance of Luxembourg for $300 million, they added.

Shensie Maru’s robotic survey equipment reportedly found the sunken tanker still intact and listing to the right in the sea bottom of Guimaras Strait, 640 meters below.

One compartment was found emptied of its content. The nine others are still full, and the seepage from one of the compartments was partially closed by tightening the valves of the ship.

Actually, three primary solutions to the Solar I problem are often discussed. They include siphoning off the bunker fuel through underwater hoses, re-floating of the tanker, and cementing it to the sea bottom with special quick-drying cement.

Petron officials, however, did not rule out the possibility that the salvage company may have other options.

Jerry Ledesma, an ecologist and head of the Negros Forest Foundation, pointed out that the danger of reposing decisions only on the expert opinion of one firm.

(Click Rolly for the rest of the column, Sept. 7, 2006.)

The UN reports on the oil spill

From the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

1. SITUATION REPORT NO. 2, Sept. 5, 2006

ocha-report-2.pdf

2. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JAPANESE DISASTER RELIEF TEAM, Aug. 30, 2006

japan-team-recommendations.pdf