PCG blames tugboat captain for diesel spill in Iloilo City river
ILOILO CITY—A diesel spill covering approximately 262 meters of the Iloilo River here has prompted environmental concerns and potential legal action after a tugboat sank along Muelle Loney amid bad weather spawned by Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” (international name: Trami) on Oct. 27.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has announced that negligence on the part of the captain of MT Maristela 2 might have contributed to the incident, which caused about 200 liters of diesel to leak into the river.
Ensign El John Ga, spokesperson of the PCG Iloilo Substation, said tugboat captain Ronnie Villacarlos, 56, may face accountability after they found that the vessel’s mooring line was not properly secured.
“Because the tension was too tight, it compromised the boat’s stability,” Ga said in a statement on Oct. 28.
This failure was suspected to have caused the vessel to tilt and then sink. Villacarlos admitted that he noticed the tugboat’s tilt when he was preparing for his morning coffee on Oct. 27, prompting him to immediately disembark from the vessel.
Swift action
MT Maristela 2 is owned by International Builders Corporation (IBC), which may also be held liable for the incident as they manage the vessel’s operations, the PCG said.
The PCG, in coordination with the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit, responded swiftly to contain the spill, deploying a spill boom to limit the spread of the diesel. Aided by IBC’s boom truck, the operation involved lifting the submerged tugboat out of the river to minimize environmental damage.
Iloilo River, a 10-kilometer estuary that starts from the town Oton and traverses the different districts of Iloilo City before emptying into the Iloilo Strait, “is a natural area which serves as habitat and nursery of many important fish species” and also “serves as a waterway for cargo vessels, scenic points of interest for tourism and a great transportation network through the heart of some of the most densely populated and economically important areas and commercial center in Iloilo,” according to information from the Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas.
Mayor’s commendation
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, on Oct. 28, commended the PCG, Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, urban search and rescue unit and other agencies for their quick action, emphasizing that “all necessary measures were taken to safeguard the Iloilo River from further contamination.”
The initial investigation findings will be submitted to the PCG Legal Department for further evaluation and potential legal action against those involved. Environmental experts assured residents the residual diesel still on the river posed no major threat.
