A party-list lawmaker on Monday said the owner of the barge carrying petroleum products that blew up off Iloilo City should pay for the environmental degradation caused by the spill and the economic losses that it caused on coastal communities. Rep. Michael Defensor of Anakalusugan, also a former Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, said: “We are also counting on the operator of the power barge – AC Energy Corp. – to pay for the cleanup of the spill.” “The Oil Pollution Compensation Law of 2007, or Republic Act 9483, imposes strict liability for oil pollution damage and guarantees adequate reparation for adversely affected populations, especially those that depend on fishing and seashell harvesting,” Defensor said.

Cruz, M. V. (2020, July 7). People affected by oil spill should be paid—solon. Manila Standard, p. A3.