Marcos says no to appointing Oriental Mindoro oil spill task force head

FILE PHOTO: Together with an oil spill boom and skimmer, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was around the suspected area of the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress at the northeast of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. | PHOTO: Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation via Philippine Coast Guard

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday thumbed down suggestions for him to appoint an official that will head the oil spill response, which began in Oriental Mindoro.

Marcos stressed that the head of the task force for the oil spill is the Philippine Coast Guard, which Admiral Artemio Abu is leading.

“The head of the task force for the oil spill is the Coast Guard. Admiral Abu heads it. So there’s no need,” he said in an ambush interview after the Philippine Army anniversary event in Taguig City.

“The Coast Guard is heading the effort because they have the assets, et cetera,” he also said.

Earlier, reports said that the Senate committee on environment, natural resources, and climate change will ask Marcos to assign an official to lead efforts on the oil spill.

“You see, there’s no need to organize something for everything,” Marcos added.

An oil spill ensued after MT Princess Empress, which carried 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, sank on February 28 off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro province after having engine trouble due to rough sea conditions.

The spillage reached Verde Island in Batangas and Taytay town in Palawan.

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KGA/abc