Walang nakikitang rason si Pangulong Marcos Jr. na magtalaga ng pinuno sa binuong special task force para ma-contain ang oil spill sa Oriental Mindoro dahil ang Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ang lead agency sa pagtugon sa oil spill.
Unang iminungkahi ng Senate Committee on Environment na magtalaga si Pangulong Marcos Jr., ng pinuno sa task force para maging coordinated ang pagtugon sa oil spill.
“The head of the task force for the oil spill is the Coast Guard. Admiral Abu heads it. So there’s no need. You see, there’s no need to organize something for everything. The idea is to have the assets in place so that ‘pag may mangyaring ganyan, may response na tayo. We do not have to organize a special group, a special committee, a special task force. They’re ready already as it is,” aniya.
Sinabi pa nito na batid na may kanya-kanyang tungkulin ang mga ahensiya na miyembro ng task force.
“So as it stands, the – nakahati ang duties. Of course, the Coast Guard is heading the effort because they have the assets, et cetera. And they also are the ones coordinating with the foreign aid that’s coming, that has been coming. ‘Yung mga ROV, ‘yung mga boom, ‘yung mga special equipment na dinala ng Japan, pinapadala ng US, pinadala – ‘yung mga expert na pinadala sa atin. Sila nagko-coordinate niyan lahat,” dagdag pa ng Punong Ehekutibo.
Ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) naman ang nangangasiwa sa assessment sa pinsalang idinulot ng oil spill.
Tungkulin naman aniya ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) na bigyan ng tulong ang mga apektadong mangingisda.
“That’s a continuing effort. Of course, all of these are in coordination with the LGU, specifically in [Oriental Mindoro], si Gov. Bonz Dolor and he has been taking care of his constituency in terms of providing assistance to what they need,” pahayag ng Pangulo.
Umaasa ang Pangulo na agad ding matatapos ang paglilinis sa oil spill para makabalik na sa normal na pamumuhay ang mga apektadong residente.