Bishop Demands Justice for Verde Island Oil Spill — Tells New DENR Chief: 'Three Years Later, Nobody Has Been Held Accountable'
Caritas Philippines President Bishop Gerry Alminaza is not letting anyone forget the Verde Island Passage oil spill — and he's using the DENR leadership change to drive the point home. In a statement on Saturday, Alminaza called on newly designated Acting DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna to seek justice for the communities devastated by the 2023 disaster.
"We urge Acting Secretary Cuna to be true to the mandate of the DENR. Uphold justice, accountability, rehabilitation, and long-term protection for the VIP and the Philippines' biodiversity as a whole," Alminaza said. His message was direct: a change in leadership must lead to real action, not just new faces.
The Verde Island Passage oil spill occurred in 2023 when the tanker MT Princess Empress released 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil off the coast of Oriental Mindoro. It was one of the worst environmental disasters in Philippine history, devastating marine ecosystems and wiping out the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen and coastal communities.
Three years later, accountability for the damage remains uncertain. That's what infuriates Bishop Alminaza — and rightfully so. The marine biodiversity of the Verde Island Passage, considered the "center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity" globally, was severely impacted. Recovery is slow, and those responsible have not been held fully to account.
With Lotilla out and Cuna in, the DENR has a fresh start — but the old problems remain. Whether the new acting secretary prioritizes environmental justice over bureaucratic inertia will be the real test. For the fisherfolk of Oriental Mindoro, three years of waiting is long enough. Sobra na.
Source: The Manila Times
