MTKR Terranova: Claim centers to be set up for Bataan oil spill compensation

The owner of sunken motor tanker Terranova in Bataan said Wednesday that claim centers will be established in affected areas for the compensation of those affected by the oil spill.

Legal counsel of the owner of MTKR Terranova, Atty. Valeriano del Rosario, said they already talked to the local government units of Bataan and Cavite. 

“When we went to Cavite and when we spoke to Bataan last week, I was with that team, and we were explaining to them that first of all, there will be a checking of what LGUs were affected and how many,” Del Rosario said in a hearing of the Senate committee on environment, natural resources, and climate change.

“And then also in Cavite, we met with the governor and we explained the protocol about doing a survey of affected LGUs. And then once the numbers have been noted, there will be claim centers created for them,” he added.

According to him, MTKR Terranova’s owner Shogun Ships Company Incorporated is with insurance company Steamship Mutual for a protection and indemnity (P&I) type of insurance.

Asked how much the insurance covers, Del Rosario said, “The limit is based on what they call the CLC, that's the Civil Liabilities Convention. It became a law in the Philippines sponsored by (then) Senator Manny Villar, the Oil Compensation Fund. The limit there is $6 million for now.”

One of the owners of MTKR Terranova, Vicente J. Cordero III, also faced the Senate panel. He reiterated that their ships are registered with requirements and are not involved in illegal activities.

“No po, hindi po siya involved sa mga ganyang activities…Kami po, fully licensed, all valid and current (No, MTKR Terranova is not involved in such activities...We are fully licensed, all valid and current.)

Cordero said MTKR Terranova departed July 23 when there was no tropical cyclone wind signal raised in its origin Bataan and destination Iloilo. Due to this, he said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) gave them clearance.

During this time, the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat and Tropical Cyclone Carina were affecting the country.

“Noong time na binigyan kami ng clearance, 'yung eye ng storm po malapit na sa Taiwan and na-lift na po 'yung Signal No. 1,” Cordero said.

(At the time we were given clearance, the eye of the storm was already close to Taiwan and Signal No. 1 had already been lifted.)

“Noong [July] 22 po kami nag-apply ng clearance. However, hindi po kami binigyan ng clearance. And noong [July] 23 po ng 11 ng gabi, undergoing 'yung pre-departure activities, dun po kami binigyan ng clearance ng Coast Guard,” he added.

(On July 22 we applied for clearance. However, we were not given clearance. And on July 23 at 11 in the evening, the pre-departure activities were underway, that's when the Coast Guard gave us clearance.)

PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said the Coast Guard needs to address the “gap” in their regulations.

“If there's one gap that we have to address, it is the regulations that we have now that were made before. So kailangan natin sigurong i-upgrade (perhaps we need to upgrade) to reflect the effect of climate change,” he said.

One crew member died and 16 others were rescued after MTKR Terranova capsized and sank 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay, according to the PCG.

Bataan has been placed under a state of calamity due to the oil spill. In Cavite, a state of calamity has been declared in at least eight towns. 

The Office of Civil Defense said 352,179 people in coastal barangays in Cavite have been affected by the oil spill that has reached their shores, with lost income amounting to nearly P18 million each day.—AOL, GMA Integrated News