Guimaras LGU to file criminal charge vs. sunken ship owner

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - — The Guimaras provincial government is filing a criminal charge against Seen Sam Shipping Corporation for failure to refloat the M/V Sportivo that sank between Iloilo and Guimaras Straits on January 20.

This was after the shipping corporation has to pay around P2.1 million for the affected local government units and 729 fishermen of the province on May 19.

Of the amount, the Guimaras government will receive P179,000 as refund for its operational expenses during the three-month clean-up period while Jordan and Buenavista towns will receive P142,184 and P8,344, respectively. About P1.8 million will be given to the fishermen as replacement for their damaged livelihood.

Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin said that, even if the claims will be granted to them, they have still fear that the remaining 36,000 sacks of fertilizer inside the sunken vessel will create toxic or rapid algal boom that would affect the entire aquatic system.

"We are not confident unless the vessel is not yet refloated despite there is no more reported fish kill caused by oil spill," Gumarin said.

Meanwhile, Task Force M/V Sportivo spokesman Raymund Moderes said the salvage operation is now going on by hiring a Cebu City-based company.

Moderes admitted that the salvage operation will take three months because the company will also observe safety precaution in conducting the operation due to strong water currents in the area.  (FREEMAN)