Owner of burnt ferry fears oil spill in Ormoc

ORMOC CITY, Philippines  – The owner of the M/V Wonderful Stars ferry, which caught fire minutes after docking here Saturday, has asked the Bureau of Fire Protection for permission to tow the ship back to Cebu City.

Roble Shipping Lines officials cited the incoming typhoon, which may enter the Philippines on Wednesday and damage the ship further or cause the spillage of about 10,000 liters of fuel. The Philippine Ports Authority has also ordered the ship to be moved elsewhere to ease congestion in the small port.

But City Fire Marshall Romeo Jaca refused to approve the request, saying it was beyond his authority. Any incident that has an estimated damage of P50 million or more would have to be referred to the national office, he added.

Jaca also said they have yet to finish their investigation into the fire, which caused the ship to be grounded, and are waiting for the crew to issue sworn statements. This is aside from the site inspection, which has to be done to establish what caused the fire and where it started, he added.

Allowing the ship to be towed back to Cebu may make it difficult for them to conclude the investigation, he also said.

Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority are also probing the incident to prevent a repeat of the incident.

But Roble’s Theodore Franco Omega appealed to Jaca to be “less bureaucratic” because the ship still has 10,000 liters of fuel that could be spilled when the incoming typhoon spawns huge waves and the boat sustains more damage.– With Delon Porcalla