QUEZON CITY, Philippines (28 February 2023) — Oil tanker MT Princess Empress sank in the Tablas Strait near Oriental Mindoro, with 800,000L of industrial fuel oil threatening to spill.
Reacting to this, Greenpeace campaigner Jefferson Chua said:
“Fossil fuels destroy biodiversity and human lives. When incidents like oil spills happen, companies are allowed to just move on, while fisherfolk and coastal communities bear the brunt of the consequences.
“The oil industry is a ticking time-bomb for the country, which is already bearing the burden of climate impacts year after year. If the government is really committed to protecting the environment, as it has claimed since its inauguration, it must end the Philippines’ fossil fuel dependence and start making oil, coal, and gas corporations accountable. The fossil fuel industry must pay for their businesses’ direct impacts on our environment, as well as the massive loss and damage resulting from the impacts of the climate crisis.
“Fossil fuel corporations are morally obligated to make the shift to renewable energy sources — and, based on their record profits last year, have more than enough capacity to do so. We demand that these companies acknowledge the danger they are putting us in, pay climate reparations, and stop further expansion of their toxic operations.”
Media Contact
Maverick Russel Flores, Communications Campaigner
Greenpeace Philippines | [email protected] | +63 9176211552