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Owner insists tanker in Mindoro oil spill was 'newly built'
Owner insists tanker in Mindoro oil spill was 'newly built'
Niko Baua,
ABS-CBN News
Published Aug 02, 2023 04:02 PM PHT
The Philippine Coast Guard deploys an oil spill boom and skimmer with manual scooping around the suspected area of the sunken MT Princess Empress approximately 7.1 nautical miles northeast of the shorelines of Balingawan Port, Lucta Port, and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro on March 14, 2023. Photo courtesy of Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation/Philippine Coast Guard/File
MANILA — The owner of the MT Princess Empress insisted Wednesday that the tanker that caused a massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro and spread to other areas was new and had complied with registration requirements.
The statement came after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) alleged that the tanker was not newly built and noted alleged conflicting information on its origins.
The NBI's investigation also revealed that the RDC REIELD Marine Services submitted falsified documents to the maritime regulator Marina in the registration of the tanker.
The NBI has filed its second batch of recommended cases at the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the Feb. 28 sinking of the MT Princess Empress.
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The NBI Environmental Crimes Division recommended the filing of Anti-Graft & Corrupt Practices Act against 36 respondents, including the owners and crew of the MT Princess Empress, officials, and personnel of the Marina and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The RDC REIELD Marine Services, in a statement, said that there was no irregularity in the tanker's construction and documentation process under the requirements of the Marina. It said it would answer the allegations in the proper forum.
The NBI and Pola town Mayor Jennifer Cruz are expected to file a third batch of cases against RDC REIELD Marine Services for allegedly violating environmental laws.
Apart from ecological damage, the oil spill affected the livelihood and food supply of hundreds of residents in Oriental Mindoro.
The Marina and the Philippine Coast Guard have yet to issue a statement on the complaints filed by the NBI against their officials and personnel for their alleged liability in the tanker's construction and documentation.
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