House OKs bill penalizing dumping of ships waste into sea

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure that will prevent and control pollution caused by waste materials from ships.

Among the prohibited acts under the bill are the discharge of oil, oily mixture, noxious liquid substances, and other harmful substances in packaged form, sewage, garbage from any Philippine ship or any other ship while within Philippine waters.

House Bill 5377 seeks to implement the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships or Marpol 73/78, including its annexes and subsequent amendments.

The measure, known as the proposed “Prevention of Pollution from Ships Act,” shall cover Philippine ships, wherever they may be found, and foreign-flagged ships, whether or not they are registered with state parties to the Convention.

Exempted from the coverage of the proposed law, however, are warships, naval auxiliary ships and man-of-war vessels.

A violator may face a fine ranging from P200,000 to P10 million, while the dumping of garbage or sewage will pay not less than P25,000, but not more than P2 million.

A corresponding fine ranging from P200,000 to P10 million will be slapped on ships that emit other harmful substances.

Should the measure become a law, any foreign-flagged ship suspected of violating the law will be denied entry to any port in the Philippines.

Ships may also be held if their operators or owners refuse to pay the fines imposed on them or the condition of the vessel does not substantially correspond with what is stated on its certificates.

HB 5377 creates the Marine Pollution Adjudication Board with quasi-judicial powers to hear marine pollution cases.

Accordingly, it also streamlines jurisdiction, responsibilities and functions of Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

Also, it provides MARINA with the right to exercise jurisdiction and regulatory control over Philippine ships while the PCG is given the sole and exclusive responsibility to enforce environmental pollution regions and standards over all ships operating within Philippine waters, ports and terminal facilities or harbors.

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, chair of the House Committee on Ecology said HB 5377 should harmonize institutional arrangements concerning marine pollution and strengthen as well as complement the enforcement of existing related laws on marine pollution. — Xianne Arcangel/LBG, GMA News