The Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Philippines has recommended the filing of criminal charges against the owners and corporate officers of the Princess Empress tanker for the Oriental Mindoro oil spill.
According to local news reports, the Oriental Mindoro oil spill case, initiated by the National Bureau of Investigation-Environmental Crime Division and Mayor Jennifer Cruz of Palo, Oriental Mindoro, squarely targets the shipping company, its officers, specific employees, nineteen Philippine Coast Guard personnel, and two Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) personnel.
Background
On the impactful morning of February 28, 2023, the MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. The sinking of MT Princess Empress resulted to a massive oil spill that reached Batangas, Antique, and Palawan.
The oil tanker, en route from Bataan to Iloilo, was transporting 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it tragically sank. A substantial 5km long and 500m wide oil spill was initially discovered near the shipwreck.
Afterwards, the oil spill expanded affecting a significant area. Furthermore, authorities tried to contain the oil spill by deploying various measures.
A Senate investigation into the oil spill revealed that the ship lacked permission to sail. Not only that, but it also had done so nine times before.
The DOJ, in its thorough examination, unearthed glaring irregularities in documents pertaining to the vessel’s construction and certificate of public convenience, bringing to light the submission of falsified documents by the company.
