By Jefferson T. Antiporda
The Manila Times
The Manila Times
A lawmaker on Friday maintained that the contractor of the US Navy involved in the alleged waste-dumping incident at Subic Bay in Zambales province, is not covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Because of this, Sen. Loren Legarda said that the firm Glenn Defense Marine Asia Philippines cannot hide under the agreement’s protective cover accorded to American servicemen.
Kristoffer James Purisima and Bernard Joseph Malibiran, both from the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco law firm, wrote that the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) that the Presidential Commission on the VFA was the sole authority to handle the concerns and issues raised by the waste dumping incident.
Legarda rejected their argument.
Legarda, chairman of the Senate committee on foreign relations, also said that the incident in Subic requires immediate attention and action to show that the Philippine government is serious in implementing its laws.
Legarda insisted that the VFA is a framework for promoting the common security interests of the Philippines and the United States by strengthening bilateral defense partnership and not to give the US a license to violate Philippines laws.
“It [VFA] is not a treaty we have entered into with the United States so that their contractors can wantonly violate the country’s environmental laws,” said Legarda.
Glenn defense, owner of the controversial waste-dumping vessel, MV Glenn Guardian, said that the agreement was between the company and the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement, which contracted them out, but Legarda maintained that the firm is not a part of any US military unit covered by the VFA.
The firm, led by former Philippine Navy chief Mateo Mayuga who investigated the Oakwood mutiny in 2003, is a contractor whose status in the Philippines is clearly within the bounds of our laws, added the lawmaker.
“It is shameless for their contractor to hide beneath the VFA and raise jurisdictional issues. There is no jurisdictional issue as far as this case is concerned,” Legarda said.
She stressed that the contractor should be made to answer if it could be established that they violated environmental laws.
“Clearly, the incident did not serve national interest at all. We shall require a report on this incident and demand immediate action against all those involved in violating our laws,” Legarda further stressed.
Dumping
A source who requested anonymity said that the shipping agency has been hauling bilge water and domestic waste water from US Navy ships that docked in Subic, which is not included in the firm’s permit to operate.
On October 15, the Ecology Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority together with the Philippine Coast Guard conducted a spot inspection and found that the ship MV Glenn Guardian contained bilge water and domestic waste water from a US vessel.
Capt. Eduberto Acedilla of MV Glenn Guardian, admitted during the inspection that the vessel had an estimated 50,000 gallons of domestic waste water and 200 liters of bilges water (water and oil).
Acedilla said that they hauled the substance from USS Emory S. Land, which was docked at the Alava pier of Subic Freeport.
On October 16, personnel from PCG and Ecology center did a follow up inspection on MV Glenn Guardian and found out that the ship had already unloaded the hazardous substance 25 nautical miles from Subic Bay.
Subic Bay is known for its clean and pristine beach and rich marine life.
Chamber response
The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce on October 25 wrote to Mayuga to inform him that the company’s membership has been suspended pending the investigation of the incident.
The SBMA ecology center issued a ‘show cause’ letter to Glenn Defense asking the company to explain the alleged dumping, but the company countered that the SBMA has no jurisdiction over the permit.
Glenn Defense is now facing expulsion and other sanctions by the SBMA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
With a report from Anthony Bayarong
5 comments:
Covered by VFA or not, I think dapat maparusahan pa din sila. I think everyone will agree in this.
At least tinututukan to ngayon nila Mriam Santiago, Loren Legarda and Koko Pimentel so I think naman na magagawan ng action and mapaparusahan kung sino mali
Mali naman talaga yung mag dump sa Philippines Seas. Tinutukan naman nila Miriam, Loren and Koko to so im sure mabibigyan ng parusa kung sino man nagkamali dito
Responsibility to ng mga Kano so dapat harapin nila yung mga batikos sa kanila. Kung iispin mo kasi, andaming maaapektuhan na kababayan natin dhil dito
You know what, other environmental groups outside the Philippines also think that Glenn Defense violated our laws. I'm am disappointed that they did this.
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