Oil Leaks Places Cordova Town Under Calamity

Cordova town Mayor Adelino Sitoy on Monday declared his town under state of calamity after massive oil slick was found in their sea waters following Friday’s collision of two sea vessels along Lawis ledge in Talisay City, Cebu.

The oil drips came from the leaking MV St. Thomas Aquinas, which sank some 30 minutes after a collision with a cargo ship of Sulpicio Shipping Lines. As of Monday, grease were still coming out from the said ship, which has been reported to have carried thousands of liters of diesel fuel and lube oil.

Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza met with concerned offices to address the spill which was also seen within their municipal waters. On Monday, the city deployed oil booms which seeps oil slick in the seas.

The local government of Cordova has allocated P1.5 million to help those whose livelihood were affected by the oil spill.

As of Monday’s search and retrieval operation, the Philippine Coast Guard said that 52 dead bodies had been recovered while 750 passengers had been rescued,while 68 are still missing.

The search and retrieval operation was temporarily suspended at around 12 noon and again at 2 pm on Monday due to strong current, big waves and bad weather conditions, according to Navy spokesperson Commander Gregory Gerard Fabic.

Authorities said that retrieval operations are scheduled to resume early morning on Tuesday.

The town of Cordova supplies most of the fish and seafood in Metro Cebu. The town is popularly known among foreign and local tourists, including professional divers from around the world, for its clear sea waters and coral reefs, seafood restaurants, five-star beach front hotels and local ‘Sutukil'(Sugba,Tuwa,Kilaw).