Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Petron told to pay up billions of pesos as damages for oil spill
By Alex P. Vidal/PNS
THE German owner of an island resort heavily affected by the oil spill in Guimaras Island has pressed for his damage claim of P100 million from oil refiner Petron Corp., even as he encouraged victims of oil spill to demand billions of pesos in total damages and "not just settle for the crumbs."
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Martin Stummer, 66, owner of Nagarao Island Resort in the southwestern part of Guimaras, also tagged the oil spill tragedy as "the Aids of environment."
"The ill effects on the health of the residents will be felt until ten years and even beyond," warned Stummer. "The victims who received paltry sums and were asked to sign a waiver were only tricked out."
Stummer was referring to the "full and final settlement agreement," which the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) required the claimants to sign before giving them their manager's check to be encashed within 30 days from receipt last January.
Claimants' payout
IOPCF had targeted P120 million as claimants' payout. Status report on the Guimaras-Iloilo fisherfolk claims showed 3,498 claimants in the municipalities of San Lorenzo, Jordan and Sibunag were paid a total of P42,000 each.
Stummer said the claimants should have received more. The total insurance in Guimaras only is $300 million or equivalent to P15 billion, he said.
"I demand P100 million as the amount of our total investment (in the resort), not for business losses to guide everybody. And they should not sign any weaver because that would mean that they cannot anymore demand for damages in the future," Stummer said.
"I will tap my international connections and hire US-based lawyers to press for my demands because this is a big catastrophe considered as the Aids of environment and they have money to pay," said Martin Stummer.
MARINE LIFE
Stummer said he had invested P100 million over the past 18 years to protect the corals and marine life around Nagarao and to beautify the 10-hectare island off the coast of Sibunag.
Stummer, who now stays in Binalbaga, Negros Occidental, after separating with his wife, Helen Solayao, said his guests mostly from Europe who normally stay for several weeks or months on Nagarao, might sue him for damages if they discover that the beach resort, which is 30 percent mangroves, 50 percent white beach, and 20 percent rock formation surrounded by coral gardens, is contaminated by thick bunker fuel oil.
Meanwhile, Stummer's lawyer Eduardo N. Reyes, Jr., warned the The Shipowners' Protection Ltd & The 1992 Fund in a letter dated February 16, 2007, to pay the claim to Stummer instead of Solayao who also claims ownership of the resort.
"While my client has heard that his estranged wife Helen is also filing a claim for damages due to oil spill over Nagarao Island Inn, it is my client's clain that should prevail that that of his wife, as the owner of the resort is my client, not his wife," Reyes wrote.
He added: "If therefore you entertain any idea of considering Helen's claim, I advise you to consult your lawyer for if you pay my client's wife, instead of him, for damages due to the oil spill, I may be forced to elevate this matter to Court. At which event you may end up paying more, as you paid the wrong person."
INITIAL PAYMENT
Stummer said he received reports that Solayao got an initial P300,000 from the firm. She could not be reached immediately for comment.
Before the oil spill, he usually took Nagarao's guests to diving and snorkeling sites in the waters off Nueva Valencia and Sibunag towns near Nagarao.
The coastal areas of Nueva Valencia, Sibunag and San Lorenzo towns are among the areas worst hit by the oil spill from the 998-ton tanker MT Solar 1 that sunk on Aug. 11 while transporting about two million liters of bunker fuel oil from Limay, Bataan.
The oil slick had reached Concepcion and Ajuy towns in Iloilo province.For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (February 21, 2007 issue)
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