Senate panel subpoenas owners of ships involved in Bataan oil spill

Coast guards began the manual scooping of oil from the cargo hold of Mirola 1 on Thursday. (Photo from Philippine Coast Guard/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — A Senate panel ordered the issuance of a subpoena against the owners of the ships MKTR Jason Bradley and MV Mirola 1, which were involved in an oil spill incident in Bataan.

In a public hearing of the upper chamber’s committee on environment, natural resources, and climate change on Wednesday, panel head Senator Cynthia Villar asked for a subpoena against the ship owners.

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“In view of the absence of Mr. Rominick Ponesta, ship owner of MTKR Jason Bradley, and Ms. Mary Jane Obaldo, ship owner of MV Mirola 1, despite being notified of today’s hearing, I move that subpoena be issued to the aforementioned persons,” Villar declared in the hearing.

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Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Tolentino supported the motion. —Arianne Denisse Cagsawa, INQUIRER.net intern