Coast Guard looking for culprit of oil spill in Batangas

BALAYAN, Batangas — The Coast Guard has sent water samples from the shores of Balayan and Calaca towns for laboratory tests to determine the culprit of the four-kilometer oil spill that was discovered Friday morning.

Coast Guard commander Raymundo Cruz said the oil spill was discovered on the shorelines of Barangays San Raphael, Baclaran and Carirahan here.

Local officials suspect that two cargo vessels — M/V Lake Buhi and M/V Tara — owned by Cumrose Shipping, coal supplier of the National Power Corp. (Napocor), could be behind the oil spill.

Napocor operates a coal-fired power plant in Calaca. — Arnell Ozaeta