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Why rely on typhoons to get rid of oil spill?
Pamalakaya says government trivializing clean up

Leftwing activists belonging to Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Thursday scored the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), after undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. yesterday said two or three typhoons would normally wash out the bunker fuel from the sunken MT Solar 1, which has spoiled beaches, poisoned mangrove areas and contaminated the rich fishing areas in Visayan Sea.

“ Why rely on typhoons? The DOST must be stopped from trivializing this issue for God’s sake. It is praying for super calamities to get rid of super profit-induced ecological disaster and this is foul. Give us a break,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

“ As this government agency name suggests, the Macapagal-Arroyo administration must explore science and technology to fast-track the clean up, go beyond its narrow role as data bank on the Guimaras oil spill and refrain from issuing incredible and ridiculous statements that would insult the collective intelligence and national sentiment of the people,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya said it would be so apathetic on the part of the DOST to wait for 2 to 3 super typhoons to wash out spilled oil off Guimaras Island.

“ Does it mean we have to wait for 3 super typhoons to get rid of the 1.3 million liters of bunker fuel which have leaked from the sunken tanker? Does it mean that we have to wait for 3 typhoons to flush out the remaining 800,000 liters of bunker fuel inside the sunken tanker? This is not science and technology, this is a doctrine way back the Jurassic era,” the militant group said.

Pamalakaya further said: “The Guimaras environmental catastrophe is tantamount to national massacre of environment and people’s livelihood and welfare. It is undeniably a crime against humanity, a heinous crime committed against present and future generations, but the DOST reduced this case into mere data gathering activity while dishing out irresponsible and out of this world recommendations.”

The militant group said instead of relying heavily on natural means like typhoons, the DOST must recommend to the government the mass mobilization of government troops and police for the clean up. It said the employment of large-scale human force is proven effective in containing the spread of oil spill to other areas.

Earlier, Pamalakaya suggested Malacañang to mobilize at least 10,000 troops and 5,000 policemen to help in the clean up operations. The group said expenses should be drawn from Petron Corp.’s account and not from public funds.

The militant group also urged DOST to support demands urging Petron Corp., the national government and Sunshine Maritime Development Corp. owner of MT Solar 1 to set aside P 10-B in total seed fund for the clean up operations.

Pamalakaya maintained that biggest oil spill recorded in local history was not an accident or God imposed disaster to test the faith of the people of this nation as what Malacañang and corporate officials of Petron want public opinion to shape to set the stage for a grand cover up and walk-in-the park escape for those responsible for this ecological catastrophe.

“The Guimaras massacre is destined to happen because of unpardonable gross irresponsibility and unfathomable greed on the part of private entities and the national government represented by the maritime authority, the group said #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 05:47 | link | comments |

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