Marine park to stay open, say owners
By Blanche S. Rivera Inquirer News Service
THE POPULAR Ocean Adventure marine park in Subic Bay would remain open and operational despite a cease-and-desist order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Ocean Adventure president John Corcoran said the order that was served to the park’s officials on Tuesday was only a legal instrument to assert the DENR’s jurisdiction in the issuance of environmental compliance certificates in Subic Bay.
He said the park has received assurance from Environment Secretary Michael Defensor that it could continue its shows, rescue operations and other activities while the Environmental Management Bureau in the region processes its ECC.
“We remain open because we were told by the DENR that it is the procedure while processing the ECC. We would not do anything that is not compliance with the law,” Corcoran said in a press conference in Quezon City yesterday.
He said the order was only a reiteration of the first order issued by the DENR in March 2001 when the DENR ordered Ocean Adventure to stop construction of the park while a case is pending in court.
The DENR and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority have been engaged in a legal battle to determine jurisdiction over establishments in the economic zone.
“It [new CDO] only serves to clarify the jurisdictional dispute that existed between the DENR and the SBMA,” Corcoran said.
There are around 320 locators in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone who have secured their ECCs from the SBMA and not the DENR.
Ocean Adventure vice president for corporate affairs Gregorio Magdaraog said Ocean Adventure was merely made a “sample” of the DENR’s assertion of authority over the issuance of ECCs to establishments in Subic Bay.
Officials of the EMB, protected areas and wildlife bureau and other environment officers visited the park Tuesday to serve the order.
He said the environment officers had a “nice” discussion with the park’s officials and even proposed the development of Ocean Adventure’s rescue facility as a DENR center.
“We have submitted everything to the EMB Region 3. It’s now up to them. We are just waiting for the ECC,” Magdaraog said.
Ocean Adventure has applied for two ECCs: One for the marine park and another for the beachfront hotel adjacent to the park.
Magdaraog said the new CDO had “absolutely no relation” to the death of Hook, a 13-year-old false killer whale who died of probable gastrointestinal illness last month.
In a letter to Defensor in September last year, Ocean Adventure officials said they were ready to comply with the requirements of the DENR in securing the ECC.
In its response, the DENR assured that “no further administrative sanctions shall be taken against SBMEI while the DENR and SBMA explore an agreeable solution.”
“We are a world-class facility and we welcome the DENR and even our detractors to check us anytime,” Corcoran said.
Ocean Adventure president John Corcoran said the order that was served to the park’s officials on Tuesday was only a legal instrument to assert the DENR’s jurisdiction in the issuance of environmental compliance certificates in Subic Bay.
He said the park has received assurance from Environment Secretary Michael Defensor that it could continue its shows, rescue operations and other activities while the Environmental Management Bureau in the region processes its ECC.
“We remain open because we were told by the DENR that it is the procedure while processing the ECC. We would not do anything that is not compliance with the law,” Corcoran said in a press conference in Quezon City yesterday.
He said the order was only a reiteration of the first order issued by the DENR in March 2001 when the DENR ordered Ocean Adventure to stop construction of the park while a case is pending in court.
The DENR and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority have been engaged in a legal battle to determine jurisdiction over establishments in the economic zone.
“It [new CDO] only serves to clarify the jurisdictional dispute that existed between the DENR and the SBMA,” Corcoran said.
There are around 320 locators in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone who have secured their ECCs from the SBMA and not the DENR.
Ocean Adventure vice president for corporate affairs Gregorio Magdaraog said Ocean Adventure was merely made a “sample” of the DENR’s assertion of authority over the issuance of ECCs to establishments in Subic Bay.
Officials of the EMB, protected areas and wildlife bureau and other environment officers visited the park Tuesday to serve the order.
He said the environment officers had a “nice” discussion with the park’s officials and even proposed the development of Ocean Adventure’s rescue facility as a DENR center.
“We have submitted everything to the EMB Region 3. It’s now up to them. We are just waiting for the ECC,” Magdaraog said.
Ocean Adventure has applied for two ECCs: One for the marine park and another for the beachfront hotel adjacent to the park.
Magdaraog said the new CDO had “absolutely no relation” to the death of Hook, a 13-year-old false killer whale who died of probable gastrointestinal illness last month.
In a letter to Defensor in September last year, Ocean Adventure officials said they were ready to comply with the requirements of the DENR in securing the ECC.
In its response, the DENR assured that “no further administrative sanctions shall be taken against SBMEI while the DENR and SBMA explore an agreeable solution.”
“We are a world-class facility and we welcome the DENR and even our detractors to check us anytime,” Corcoran said.
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