The Philippine Coast Guard will file charges of obstruction of justice against the owner of M/T Makisig and the management of Petron Corp. over an oil spill that has already affected three towns along Manila Bay.
Commodore Joel Garcia, commander of the Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection Command said Herma Shipping, owner of the oil tanker, as well as the personnel and staff of Petron in Rosario, Cavite will be charged for preventing the Coast Guard from taking samples from the tanker’s fuel tank and Petron’s pipeline.
“Last night, without any valid reason, our personnel were not allowed by either Petron or Herma Shipping from taking oil and water samples from their tank and pipeline despite telling them that they are in violation of Presidential Decree 1829 (Obstruction of Justice) if they continue to suppress us from taking samples”, Garcia said.
Garcia said even though they were allowed to take samples before sunrise on Friday, the PCG will pursue the case. “They can’t cure the first offense after they cooperated the second time”, Garcia insisted.
Oil and water samples were also taken from the shoreline of affected areas which will be compared to those that have been taken from the pipeline and fuel tank of the ship.
Based on laboratory results, the samples from the pipeline and the ship’s fuel tank are identical to the sample taken from the shoreline.
Garcia said aside from obstruction of justice, they may also file charges of violating Republic Act 9275 (Clean Water Act) and Presidential Decree 979 (Marine Pollution Law of the Philippines).
More than 500,000 liters of diesel fuel spilled into the southeastern portion of Manila Bay affecting four coastal towns in Cavite: Rosario, Naic, Tanza, and Ternate.
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Garcia said Alert Tier 3, the highest level of oil spill response warning, is currently raised in those areas and all government agencies are required to coordinate and extend immediate assistance.
Authorities still can’t make conclusions on where the oil spill originated but as of Friday, MEPCOM personnel and divers from the Coast Guard Special Operations Group (CGSOG) discovered a leak in the submerged pipeline of Petron. As of this post, the pipe is still leaking.
PCG commandant Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena assured the public, though, that the situation is already under control.
Cavite Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla has already declared a state of calamity in the four towns affected by the oil spill. The declaration releases funds set aside for emergencies.
The incident was first reported by fisherfolk in Rosario on Thursday afternoon.
In 2010, 11,200 square-meters of sea water in Rosario was affected by a similar incident after Petron’s submarine pipeline was damaged by an oil tanker during a typhoon.
