FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 1 OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE } 8 JUL -9 ;:,io :5y Second Regular Session 1

Introduced by Sen. M, A. Madrigal

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICES AND THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, INTO THE ILLEGAL CARRIAGE OF THE TOXIC PESTICIDE ENDOSULFAN AND OTHER HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ON THE SUNKEN PASSENGER VESSEL Mv PRINCESS OF THE STARS

WHEREAS on 21 June 2008, the ill-fated Mv Princess of the Stars, with more than 800 men, women, and children on board, sank off the coast of , ;

WHEREAS since 21 June 2008, search and rescue operations have been conducted by the divers of the ;

WHEREAS it was recently discovered that the MV Princess of the Stars,"a passenger vessel, was carrying a cargo of endosulfan, a restricted, highly toxic, and hazardous pesticide, in four hundred (400) twenty-five (25)-kilo boxes stored in a forty (40)-foot container van;

WEEREAS it was likewise recently discovered that, aside from the cargo of endosulfan, other hazardous substances were also carried on board the MV Princess of the Stars;

WHEREAS Sulpicio Lines, owner of MV Princess of the Stars, never notified the authorities of the cargo of endosulfan and other hazardous substances on said vessel before search and rescue operations were conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard;

WHEREAS Sulpicio Lines should have immediately disclosed its cargo of endosulfan considering its hazardous effects and the fact that the transport of such on passenger vessels is strictly prohibited;

WHEREAS the Pesticide Regulatory Policies in the Philippines of the Philippine Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority mandates the safety in transport of hazardous chemicals, such as endosulfan, with minimum risk to people and the environment; WHEREAS the Department of Transportation and Communication prohibits the carriage of hazardous materials, such as endosulfan, in a passenger vessel;

WJ3EREAS it was also discovered that Sulcipio Lines failed to secure a permit from the Philippine Coast Guard that it would be carrying hazardous materials on its passenger vessel;

WHEREAS despite the prohibitions and regulations, endosulfan was still carried on the MV Princess of the Stars;

WHEREAS endosulfan has been proven to be dangerous, if not fatal, to humans and the environment;

WHEREAS studies have shown that some animals living in endosulfan-contaminated waters suffer from kidney, liver, or testes damage and a reduced ability to fight off infections while human ingestion of large amounts of endosulfan by eating the meat of contaminated animals, drinking endosulfan-contaminated water, and breathing endosulfan-contaminated air can cause severe poisoning, birth defects, physical deformities, disorders of the central nervous system, cancer, and, even, death;

WHEREAS endosulfan has already been banned in Bahrain, Belize, Cambodia, Columbia, Germany, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Tonga, and United Arab Emirates, and is severely restricted in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Panama, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela;

WHEREAS the possibility of endosulfan contamination in Sibuyan Sea can affect, as it has already affected, the livelihood of fishermen around Sibuyan Sea;

WHEREAS due to the persistent violations of the policies, rules, and regulations on the transport of hazardous substances on passenger vessels and the seeming lack of force in the enforcement of these policies, rules, and regulations, there is a need to review the same to ensure strict compliance with law and the safety of our health and environment;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to direct the Senate Committee on Public Services and Committee on Agriculture to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the illegal carriage of the toxic pesticide endosulfan on the sunken passenger vessel MV Princess of the Stars in view of the imminent danger it poses to our health, environment, and fishing industry with the purpose of reviewing the existing policies, rules, and regulations on the transport of hazardous substances on passenger vessels.