Rappler
MT Princess Empress was ‘colorum,’ MARINA insists
Senators discovered that the oil tanker MT Princess Empress, which caused a major oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, may have been operating with a falsified permit.
MARINA spokesperson lawyer Sharon Aledo insisted the shipowner, RDC Reield Marine Services, did not complete submission of documents to add the new oil tanker to its fleet, making it a 'colorum' or unlicensed vessel.
This contradicts the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) presentation of a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) purportedly issued by MARINA on November 16, 2022, which was set to expire on February 6, 2042.
RDC stated it purchased the vessel last year and completed documentary requirements in December.
The PCG had cleared the MT Princess Empress to sail nine times, including on February 28, the day it sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil.
The sinking impacted marine ecosystems, prompting the province to place nearly 80 coastal villages in nine towns under a state of calamity.
Investigations are ongoing.
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News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) insists that the MT Princess Empress should not have sailed as it did not have a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).
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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is investigating the potential forgery of a MARINA regional official's signature on the MT Princess Empress' amended permit to sail.
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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) faces administrative and legal action for inspectors who permitted the MT Princess Empress to sail without a required Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).
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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) corrected its earlier report, stating the sunken MT Princess Empress was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, not 800,000.
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Senator Risa Hontiveros is calling for the accountability of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) officials due to alleged negligence in the Oriental Mindoro oil spill.
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