Marina files raps vs sunken vessel owner

MANILA, Philippines — The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has filed administrative charges against RDC Reield Marine Services, the owner of M/T Princess Empress that sank in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28, and caused a massive oil spill in the province.

“Mayroong binuong fact-finding committee ang MARINA at na-file-an na sila ng formal charges, ng administratibo ng MARINA. Gumugulong na po iyong proseso,” MARINA Director Ronald Bandalaria told the Laging Handa briefing yesterday.

He said cease and desist orders had earlier been issued against the remaining vessels of RDC Reield.

“Masusi pong inspeksiyon ang ginagawa ng MARINA sa mga natitirang barko ng kumpanya para po masigurado ang compliance ng barko at ng RDC. Ongoing din ang proseso ng administrative cases ng naturang kumpanya. Hindi din po natin masabi kung hanggang kailan ang magiging closure order,” Bandelaria said.

He said the administrative case may result in the cancellation of RDC’s certificate of public convenience or franchise if negligence is proven.

Princess Empress was carrying more than 900,000 liters of industrial fuel when it sank.

Bandalaria said MARINA would also look into the allegations that Princess Empress was a “rebuilt scrap.”

Meanwhile, an official of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Coron in Palawan said the oil spill has not yet reached the waters in the town.

“Based on our monitoring last Monday and yesterday as well as the barangay officials and fishermen, they reported that they did not notice an oil spill in Coron,” MDRRMO head Fernando Lopez said in a radio interview.

”We also went to the area of the suspected oil slick 12 kilometers away from the shoreline, and the water remains the same,” he said.

The University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute had earlier said a satellite image taken by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on April 2 spotted possible oil slicks 12 kilometers off Coron.