For now, the 8,000 liters of diesel fuel inside the capsized cargo ship at the Cabahug wharf remained intact.
Philippine Coast Guard Station Commander Winiel Azcuna gave this assurance yesterday even as the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that the reported oil spill in the area was already controlled and confined in the spill boom placed around the MV Maria Angelica Grace.
Engineer Annabeth Roble of EMB said the EMB checked on the vessel yesterday and found out that the oil spill hadn’t affected the environment yet.
Sanctions
Roble also said that their office couldn’t impose any sanctions against the owner of the cargo vessel.
However, Coast Guard commander Azcuna said that his men manually removed 200 liters of oil from the engine room as of Wednesday night.
Azcuna said that this would mean that the owner, Salvador Rapal, would have to pay an administrative fine of P10,000 after an administrative suit is filed against him.
Azcuna said if there would be an oil spill involving the 8,000 liters of diesel fuel then the owner would have to pay an administrative fine of at least half a million pesos.
threat remains
The charges would be based on the Coast Guard’s memorandum circular 01-05 or the prohibition of dropping oil mixture in the sea.
“The threat is there because the fuel is still in the tank,” Azcuna said.
He said that the main concern would be the removal of the fuel as we await the two salvors hired by the owner to siphon the diesel from the vessel.
He said they would meet the two salvor operators today to determine how long it would take to remove the fuel.
Siphoning the fuel from the tank would be like taking a content off a septic tank, said Azcuna.
After the removal of the diesel, the Coast Guard would then decide whether to refloat the cargo-vessel or cut it piece by piece, said Azcuna.
The cargo vessel capsized last Sunday night at the Ouano Wharf.
Meanwhile, the Mandaue City Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (MCFARMC) convened yesterday to discuss the impact of the reported oil spill on the fishermen in the area.
Twelve fishermen leaders attended the meeting to find a solution to the problem./Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos