The officials from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) should be held accountable for their "undeniable negligence and nonfeasance" in the oil spill incident in Oriental Mindoro, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Friday.
Hontiveros made the remark after Justice Secretary Crispin 'Boying' Remulla exposed that the sunken oil tanker MT Princess Empress was not brand new but a rebuilt scrap vessel. He said the vessel was originally an LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) carrier and later was converted into an oil tanker.
"PCG officials who directly allowed this "scrap ship" to depart from Bataan on February 27, 2023 - despite not meeting all requirements in the PCG's pre-departure checklist - should face the full brunt of the law," the Senator said in a statement.
She said MARINA officials should be held responsible once proven that it let the 50-year-old scrap ship operate even if it was not "refurbished" well according to the standards.
Hontiveros added that the MARINA should likewise confirm whether or not the certificate of public convenience (CPC) of RDC Reield Marine Services, the MT Princess Empress owner, was duly amended.
"I trust that the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change will be able to ensure that the officials responsible for this environmental nightmare will be held to account for their actions," Hontiveros said.
On February 28, the MT Princess Empress which carried 800,000 liters submerged Naujan, Oriental Mindoro after encountering a problem with its engine due to overheating.
