Mindoro fishers’ class suit on 2023 oil spill moves
CALAPAN CITY—A class suit filed by fisherfolk seeking accountability for the 2023 oil spill in the Verde Island Passage (VIP) had moved forward after the Regional Trial Court (RTC) here had reconsidered its earlier order requiring them to pay more than P500,000 in filing fees.
An order issued by the Pinamalayan RTC last week allowed the deferment of filing fees, reversing its Jan. 5 directive that mandated the petitioners to pay the amount “in consideration of the fact that this is a case for collection of actual and compensatory damages.”
The class suit, filed on Dec. 9, 2025, was initiated by dozens of fisherfolk from Calapan City and the towns of Pinamalayan and Polo which are among the areas most heavily affected by the spill following the sinking of MT Princess Empress in February 2023.
The petitioners are seeking compensation reflective of the “true extent of damages” to their livelihoods and coastal communities from shipowner RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., charterer SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp., the Shipowners’ Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, and the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds.
The case invokes the Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007 and was originally allowed to be filed without payment of fees due to its environmental nature.
Under the rules of procedure for environmental cases, payment of filing fees may be deferred.
In their motion for reconsideration, the fisherfolk argued that the case falls under environmental litigation and that requiring immediate payment of over half a million pesos would effectively bar them from seeking justice.
“It is disheartening that fisherfolk had to file a motion for reconsideration just for our pleas to be heard. Three years after the oil spill, many of us are still trying to recover while sinking deeper into debt,” said Aldrin Villanueva, president of Koalisyon ng mga Mangingisdang Apektado ng Oil Spill.
“If we were forced to pay half a million pesos just to defend our rights, it would have been the same as denying us justice,” he said.
Villanueva described the court’s latest ruling as a small but significant victory.
Victory
“The outcome of the hearing is a victory from the collective efforts of fisherfolk. Our fight continues to hold those responsible for the oil spill accountable and to defend our seas. This kind of disaster must never happen again in Mindoro and across the Verde Island Passage,” he said.
Environmental advocates supporting the fisherfolk said the court’s decision highlights the continuing challenges faced by marginalized communities in accessing justice.
“The court’s decision to accept the Motion for Reconsideration to allow the deferment of filing fees is an important step, but it also reveals deeper inequalities in our justice system,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, lead convener of the group Protect VIP.
“Fisherfolk who already are victims of an environmental disaster should not have to appeal just to be heard in court while large corporations have the resources to avoid accountability,” he added.
Despite compensation released by the IOPC Funds, the petitioners and their supporters maintain that the amounts received so far remain insufficient to address long-term livelihood losses, coastal rehabilitation, and ecological damage in the Verde Island Passage, a marine corridor recognized by scientists as the “center of the center” of global marine shore fish biodiversity.
“The communities affected by the oil spill continue to bear the burden of an environmental disaster they did not cause,” said Gerry Arances, executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development. “The justice system must ensure that those responsible for environmental destruction are held fully accountable and not make it harder for affected communities to bring their case forward.”
For the fisherfolk of Mindoro, advocates said, the case goes beyond monetary claims.
“This case is more than compensation. It is about dignity and justice,” Gariguez said. “The communities whose livelihoods were destroyed deserve a justice system that works for them.”
