ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Were the oil tankers that sunk during the onslaught of Typhoon "Carina" and the southwest monsoon (Habagat) involved in "paihi" or illegal siphoning of oil? 

House Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo wants the Department of Justice (DOJ) to get to the bottom of the matter. 

This, as DOJ Secretary Crispin Remulla expressed belief that the three sunken ships were involved in illegal activities. 

According to Remulla, it was not an accident but a crime committed by the shipping companies, after meeting with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officials. 

"Matagal nang gawain itong 'paihi' sa lugar na yan para makaiwas sa pagbabayad ng buwis sa Bureau of Customs (BOC) ang ilang tusong oil importers," Tulfo said. 

(This illegal siphoning has long been carried out by unscrupulous oil importers in that area as a way to avoid paying taxes to the BOC.) 

“Habang naka-angkla sa laot at malayo sa mata ng mga otoridad ang mga oil tanker galing sa ibang bansa, tatabihan ng mga local oil tankers natin, tulad ng mga lumubog na barko na yan, para ilipat ang kargang langis sa kanila," explained the broadcast journalist-turned-solon. 

(While foreign oil tankers are out at sea and for from the sight of authorities, our local oil tankers--like the ones that sank--will sit beside them and siphon the oil into them.) 

"At kapag na-load na ang mga imported na langis sa maliliit na tanker, derecho na ito sa iba’t-ibang pier sa bansa… entonces libre na talaga ito sa pagbayad ng buwis sa BOC,” noted Tulfo. 

(And once the smaller tankers are filled up with imported fuel, they go straight to the different docks in the country...thus the cargo is "free" from BOC duties.) 

It can be recalled that motor tankers MT Terranova and MT Jayson Bradley, sank in Limay and Mariveles, Bataan, respectively. A few days later, the MV Mirola 1 ran aground in Mariveles, Bataan. 

“Bakit hindi sila sumilong muna gayong masama na ang panahon?….kasi nga marahil iligal ang kanilang karga. 

(Why didn't they seek shelter amid the bad weather?...it's precisely because their cargo was illegal.) 

"At kung mapatunayan ng mga otoridad na iligal ang kanilang lakad nang lumubog ang mga barko, kasuhan at ikulong ang lahat ng sangkot dyan,” the neophyte lawmaker said. 

(And if authorities can prove that they were doing an illegal activity when the tankers capsized, then all involved should be charged and jailed.) 

He lamented that many Filipinos will lose their jobs and the government will spend millions of pesos again on the clean-up operation due to the said oil spill caused by incidents.