No Sign of Oil Spill from Cargo Vessel which Ran Aground Off North Cebu – PCG

There is no sign of an oil spill from the cargo vessel which ran aground Monday dawn in the shallow portion of Monad Shoal in Malapascua Island off Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Commander Agapito “Butch” Bibat, chief of the PCG Station-Cebu, said the PCG team sent to the site didn’t notice any sign of oil spill.

Bibat said the owners of the Panama-registered MV Belle Rose will also send six marine experts from Japan and two from Manila to investigate the damage to marine life, including the coral reef.

The cargo ship MV Belle Rose was carrying 48,000 tons of cement powder for delivery to the southern Cebu town of San Fernando where there are two cement factories when it ran aground near Malapascua Island at 3 a.m. on Monday.

Bibat said his office will not issue clearance for the vessel to sail again if it doesn’t pay for the damage it caused to the environment.

Maritime Specialist Mardon Martin of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) 7 said the incident involving MV Belle Rose is under the jurisdiction of PCG because it involved a foreign-registered vessel.

Earlier, the Cebu Provincial Disaster Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) investigated the reported oil spill in Sapangdaku River in Toledo City in western Cebu.

Baltazar tribunal, PDRRMO chief, said they suspect two companies as the source of the oil spill, whose names they are withholding pending investigation.

Affected areas are the river above barangay Canlumampao, specifically the area in Sitio San Isidro, and Barangay Magdugo.

This is the second site of oil spill since last Friday. The first last January 10 in the shores of Barangay Basdiot, Moalboal, and reportedly coming from Pescador Island. This oil spill has been contained, Tribunalo said. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS