Sunday, August 11, 2013

Aquino wants immediate containment of Cavite oil spill

President Benigno S. Aquino III wants government agencies to step up recovery and clean up efforts on the oil spill that affected coastal communities in Cavite.

“Ang directive ng Pangulo is to make sure that we focus on the recovery and clean-up operations dahil maraming mga barangay na maaapektuhan doon,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

Valte said the Philippine Coast Guard had a meeting Saturday morning with the representatives of oil companies, local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders.

They agreed to dispatch additional tugboats and marine environment personnel to assist the clean-up operations, Valte said.

The PCG is also forming an adjudication team to handle the investigation after the clean-up efforts and to determine which entity is accountable for the leak.

The Palace is also in touch with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to know what possible assistance the government could extend to coastal barangays affected by the oil spill, Valte said. So far however, LGUs are already providing assistance to affected communities, she added.

The municipality of Rosario, Cavite, declared a state of calamity Friday after officials said the spill damaged coral reefs in its municipal waters.

The coast guard said samples taken from areas hit by an oil spill matched that of the diesel being used by a fuel tanker that had earlier unloaded fuel at the Petron Corp. terminal in Rosario, Cavite. PND (as)

SOURCE: PIA

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