Coast Guard probes oil spill off Lapu

MANILA—The Philippine Coast Guard is investigating an oil spill that occurred in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu last Friday, a PCG official said yesterday.

PCG spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Algier Ricafrente said Coast Guard personnel collected an estimated 110 liters of an “oily mixture” from waters off the Osmeña Pier in Lapu-Lapu City last Friday morning.

The PCG was still trying too determine who was responsible for the oil spill, Ricafrente said.

He said a crew member of Metro Ferry’s Carmen Uno sighted the oil spill at around 9:45 a.m and reported it to the Coast Guard.

“The personnel from (Coast Guard) Detachment Mandaue were alerted on the reported incident and immediately proceeded to the site to verify the report at around 10:10 a.m.,” Ricafrente said.

“After conducting some thorough tests, they were convinced that the substance polluting the water that was drifting towards First Mactan-Mandaue Bridge was oil, initially estimated at one drum,” he told reporters. Inquirer