Capitol ready to give more assistance to Cordova town

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu provincial government is just waiting for the town officials of Cordova to seek for more assistance after the shipping firms responsible for the oil spill that affected the town’s marine habitat refused to pay for the P126-million damages.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said the Capitol is ready to extend more assistance to Cordova should the town needs it. He said the Capitol has already given P5 million to Cordova.

Davide, however, said that the next step after 2GO Group Inc. and the Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (PSACC) refused to pay for the demand should be court litigation.

Davide said Mayor Adelino Sitoy should go to court to compel the two shipping firms to pay for the damages. Sitoy earlier sent a demand letter to both shipping companies and to the management of Pioneer Insurance and Surety Corporation.

Sitoy demanded a payment of P126 million within 30 days for the damages that the oil spill has caused in his town. He threatened to pursue legal action should the shipping firms insist on not paying the demand.

The oil spill in Cordova was caused by the collision of 2GO’s passenger vessel, MV St. Thomas Aquinas, and MV Sulpicio Express Siete of PSACC in Lauis Ledge off Talisay City last year.

Aside from the demand from Cordova, PSACC was also directed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 to pay P41.7 million after the 328 hectares of newly planted and 115 hectares of productive mangrove plantations in the town were damaged.