A potential supplemental budget for recovery efforts in connection with the widespread spillage from a sunken oil tanker off Oriental Mindoro will breeze through the House of Representatives.

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda made this fearless forecast Friday, March 3 as he expressed confidence that his House colleagues would support a supplemental budget for immediate action on the unmitigated environmental disaster.

“We are prepared to propose and enact a supplemental budget if it comes to that. If the President requests it, we will grant it," Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said in a statement.

On Feb. 28, as it sailed into rough seas off Naujan, Mindoro, the vessel Princess Empress sank with its cargo of 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel.

"This is an event that could have devastating consequences to fish supply and tourism, and it will definitely affect hundreds of thousands of families if it gets out of hand,” the Bicolano said.

Salceda was the principal author and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee during the enactment of House Bill (HBl No. 9358, which, among other things, granted at least P5.4 billion in supplemental appropriations to sectors affected by the Guimaras Oil Spill in 2006.

“I don’t think it will face significant resistance in either chamber,” he said of the potential supplemental budget for the latest oil spill.

“What I think should happen is, the President assesses the resources within his disposal, and asks Congress for more if he doesn’t have enough in the budget to deal with an event like this.

“In this particular instance, a supplemental budget would be perfectly understandable, given that no one can really anticipate an oil spill," Salceda said.