The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered the dismissal of a top maritime official over his role in the sinking of an oil tanker that caused a massive oil spill in February last year.

In a letter released to the media on Wednesday, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said MARINA Region 5 Director Jaime Bea was “culpable of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service” over the incident.

Bea’s dismissal was ordered after an investigation found that he had signed and approved the Certificate of Ownership/Certificate of Philippine Registry of the MTKR Princess Empress in contravention of established rules and procedures.

The oil tanker sank off the coast of Oriental Mindoro on February 28, 2023, causing an oil spill that damaged the environment and resulted in estimated losses of P7 billion pesos.

Bautista said Bea’s actions had resulted in “millions of pesos of damages to the government” in response operations and had also damaged the “image and integrity” of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

“We have had sinkings before, but no one has been held to account. This time all parties, whether private or public, will be held accountable. There will be no exception,” Bautista said.

The DOTr secretary ordered MARINA Administrator Sonia Malaluan to enforce Bea’s dismissal immediately, emphasizing the need for “the rule of law, good governance, and best practices” to prevail throughout the department and its agencies.

The Sinking of MT Princess Empress and The Oil Spill Disaster in Oriental Mindoro

On February 28, 2023, the oil tanker MT Princess Empress sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, causing a massive oil spill that has devastated the local environment and economy.

At around 2 a.m., while traversing the waters of Naujan, MT Princess Empress experienced rough sea conditions. By 4:16 a.m., the tanker was reported to be half-submerged. The 20 crew members were rescued by MV Efes and taken to Subic, Zambales unscathed.

The tanker, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank completely by 8 a.m. near Balingawan Point. A five-kilometer-long and 500-meter-wide oil spill was discovered near the shipwreck, although it was initially from the tanker’s diesel fuel, not the industrial fuel oil it was transporting.

The oil spill quickly expanded to around six by four kilometers, with a “black and thick” slick and a strong odor. It affected at least 21 marine protected areas, including seagrass beds, mangroves, and fish larvae pathways critical for marine life.

By March 5, oil slicks were sighted in Quiniluban and Agutaya, Palawan. Coastal cleanup efforts collected thousands of liters of oily water, hundreds of sacks of oil-contaminated debris, and dozens of drums of waste in the MIMAROPA and Antique regions.

The UP Resilience Institute estimated the environmental damage at around P7 billion pesos. Satellite monitoring showed the oil slicks spreading widely between late March and early May, with traces still detected in early June, even after the remaining oil was removed from the sunken tanker.

The oil spill has severely impacted the livelihoods of 27,850 farmers and fisherfolk in the affected provinces, with an estimated P4.9 billion pesos in agricultural damage.

As of March 27, 2023, 172,928 people in 166 barangays across MIMAROPA, Region VI, and CALABARZON had been affected by the disaster. The government has provided over P982.7 million in humanitarian assistance to nearly 42,500 affected individuals as of February 2024.

The Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and other agencies had been leading the cleanup and containment efforts, with assistance from private contractors.

Investigations by the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) uncovered irregularities in the tanker’s documents and recommended criminal charges against the owners and corporate officers of MT Princess Empress.

MARINA initiated administrative cases against the shipowner and is pursuing formal complaints against its own officials and personnel found liable for negligence. The Department of Justice has threatened to petition for a Writ of Kalikasan if cleanup efforts are not completed within the government’s timeline.

The sinking of MT Princess Empress and the resulting oil spill has been described as an environmental crime, with calls for those responsible to be held accountable for the devastating impact on the local communities and ecosystems. (Photo Credits: UP Resilience Institute and PTV News)