MANILA, Philippines - A militant group yesterday urged Iloilo fishermen and their families to file charges against the National Power Corp. for the oil spill in the waters off Estancia town.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the affected fishermen and their families are suffering not only from the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda but also from the oil spill that was caused by a power barge of the Napocor.
Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France said the injury suffered by fishermen and their families compounded the alleged slow relief response of the government to the disaster stricken towns in Northern Iloilo and in Aklan, Capiz and Antique.
“It’s payback time. We urge our fisherfolk peers in Northern Iloilo, Panay and Guimaras to demand justice and proper compensation for the crimes and neglect of the Aquino government,†the Pamalakaya official said.
Pamalakaya said a class suit should be filed against the Office of the President, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Napocor for their allegedly slow action on the oil spill.
The group said the 446 families, or 1,892 individuals evacuated from Barangay Botongon since Nov. 23, could lead the petition for the proposed class action against the Aquino administration.
PSALM to repair power barge
Meanwhile, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), the government corporation tasked to handle state-owned power assets, said that it would repair the power barge 103 that ran aground during the onslaught of Yolanda and caused an oil spill in Iloilo.
It said the SPC Island Power Corp. won the bidding for the repair not only of the power barge 103, but also of 101 and 102.
PB 103 is a 32 megawatt barge-mounted bunker-fired dieselgenerating power station moored in Estancia to augment the power needs of Panay Island, according to PSALM.
The barge sustained damage during the typhoon and caused its fuel to spill.
An official of the corporation said PB 103 would undergo repair as soon as it is safely docked.
PSALM has turned over P1.5 million to the provincial government of Iloilo and P500,000 to the municipal government of Estancia for the families displaced by the oil spill.
– Michelle Zoleta, Iris Gonzales