Storm-tossed vessel alarms Coast Guard

MANILA, Philippines—A cargo vessel found to have been used for arms smuggling four years ago has again become a cause for concern.

Strong waves caused by Tropical Storm Mario pushed the MV Captain Ufuk dangerously close to the Roxas Boulevard seawall in Manila on Friday, raising fears that the next storm could send it slamming onto the structure and causing an oil spill.

In an interview Saturday, Petty Officer Edgar Tantiado of the Philippine Coast Guard substation near the Cultural Center of the Philippines, said the PCG had called the attention of the Bureau of Customs which has custody of the vessel.

Being prepared for auction by the BOC, the Panama-registered Ufuk was seized by the government upon its arrival in Mariveles, Bataan province, in August 2004 for illegally carrying 14 crates of high-powered firearms, Tantiado said.

Coast Guard personnel on Friday noticed that strong waves moved the vessel closer to the seawall by 60 meters from where it was positioned before the storm.

“It’s getting nearer and nearer the coastline. That is why the cargo vessel must be towed away immediately and anchored safely,” Tantiado said as he warned that an impact on the seawall could damage the vessel and result in an oil spill.

It was not immediately known how much fuel remained in the vessel.