Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos expressed strong support for survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) as they filed a landmark climate damages case against Shell in a United Kingdom court. 

The prelate, who heads Caritas Philippines, called their action a necessary appeal for justice amid worsening climate impacts on vulnerable communities.

The bishop said the survivors’ fight reflects a deeper moral crisis tied to both corporate behavior and governance failures. 

“Their struggle reminds us that climate disasters are not merely natural events, but are intensified by corporate negligence and by corruption in systems meant to protect the vulnerable,” he said.

Alminaza added that the case demands accountability rooted in faith and dignity, especially during a season of reflection. 

“This Christmas, may the light of Christ awaken in us compassion, accountability, and a deeper care for our common home, so that those who have been harmed may be fully heard, supported, and uplifted in their pursuit of justice,” he said. 

His statement came after 103 survivors from Cebu, Bohol, and nearby provinces filed a civil action in London seeking compensation for deaths, injuries, and extensive destruction caused by the 2021 typhoon. 

The case, prepared by British law firm Hausfeld, invokes Philippine law but will be heard in a UK court. It argues that Shell’s emissions significantly contributed to the intensity of the storm, drawing on emerging attribution science.

Odette, the strongest typhoon of 2021, killed 405 people, injured more than 1,300, and caused at least PHP 34.4 billion in damage. 

Scientific research presented in the filing shows that human-induced climate change more than doubled the likelihood and severity of the storm. 

Shell, which has produced more than 41 billion tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions, over 2 percent of global fossil fuel emissions, is accused of expanding oil and gas investments despite decades of internal knowledge about climate risks.

“Shell is a huge company, but we can no longer remain silent,” petitioner Trixy Elle said during a press conference in Quezon City announcing the filing. “For us, this case is about seeking justice and reclaiming the power that has long been denied to us.”

Climate justice groups backing the public campaign, including Greenpeace Philippines, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC), said the case strengthens the polluter-pays principle and contributes to a growing global push to challenge fossil fuel impunity.

“This case is about holding Shell accountable to our Filipino clients for climate-driven harm,” said Greg Lascelles, partner at Hausfeld and lead counsel. 

Greenpeace campaigner Jefferson Chua said Filipinos are “tired of the endless cycle of extreme weather fueled by impunity and greed,” while international lawyer Tessa Khan called Odette “a disaster born out of decades of extraction and profiteering.”

Alminaza said the case should also spur a national review of energy policy, including the lifting of the coal moratorium, which he warned could deepen the country’s climate vulnerability. 

He said the Philippines must choose whether its development path protects affected communities or strengthens industries driving environmental harm.

Advocates say the Odette case could set a precedent for climate-vulnerable countries in the Global South seeking redress for the impacts of fossil fuel emissions. 

For survivors, the filing marks the beginning of a long-awaited demand for justice that has been repeatedly denied in the face of escalating climate threats.