The MT Princess Empress, the oil tanker that sank and caused the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, has no authorized permit to operate.
This was disclosed by Senator Cynthia Villar, citing a report from the Department of Transportation - Maritime Industry Authority (DOTr-Marina), during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change on Tuesday.
"There is a report from the Marina on the founding of [MT] Princess Empress. The ship has no authority to operate in the form of an amendment to its certificate of public convenience issued to RDC Reield Marine Services to operate the Princess Empress in the domestic trade pursuant to revised implementing rules and implementation of the Republic Act No. 9295," Villar said.
According to DOTr-Marina Administrator Hernani Fabia, a Certificate of public convenience (CPC) was granted to RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., the operator of MT Princess Empress.
However, he noted that this CPC was not amended in order to include the operations of the MT Princess Empress.
"'Yung RDC, may pending application which we were going to hear pa sana, may hearing. May kulang na mga documents, so ihe-hear pa natin iyan. Hindi sila na-issue-han kaagad," Fabia added.
In defense, RDC Refield Marine Services Vice President said they have applied for CPC amendment as early as December last year.
"RDC as a company has a CPC. 'Yung amendment, we submitted all the documents required," she said.
The RDC official also admitted that the MT Princess Empress was able to sail nine times.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) posted photos of the CPC granted by the DOTr-Marina to RDC Reield Marine Services Inc.
"LOOK: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shares the "Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC)" of MT Princess Empress issued by Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), contrary to the report that the PCG cleared the said vessel without CPC," it said.
