MANILA, Philippines - Fisherfolk group Pamalakaya on Friday called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to shut down the Petron oil depot in Rosario town, Cavite to prevent another oil spill in the province.
Pamalakaya said DENR Secretary Ramon Paje should immediately issue an administrative order calling the owners and management of Petron to close their oil depot in Barangay Poblacion.
"The removal of Petron oil depot in Barangay Poblacion is a necessity to avoid such kind of environmental mishap to be repeated again and again with impunity, " the group said in a statement.
Pamalakaya also pressed Petron Corp. to provide immediate damage compensation package to thousands of fishing families affected by the oil spill at the height of typhoon Basyang three years ago.
The group said Malacanang and local governments units in Cavite province should immediately oblige Petron to pay damages, compel the oil firm to shoulder the clean up in the affected coastal barangays in Rosario and Tanza towns for the recent oil spill.
Pamalakaya proposed Petron to immediately provide an economic assistance of P20,000 per fishing family in affected coastal barangays.