2Go hires firm to ‘reprocess’ leaked oil

CEBU, Philippines - The shipping firm that owns MV St. Thomas Aquinas, the vessel that sank off Lawis Ledge after a collision, yesterday announced tapping a private firm to process the oil that leaked from the ill-fated vessel.

“We tapped Genetron International Marketing to help us in disposing the oil from the vessel,” 2GO AVP for Shipping Management Lito Salvio said in yesterday’s daily command conference at the Cebu City Hall.

Genetron’s Cris Guanzon reported that they have packed the waste oil ready for shipment to Luzon since there is no reprocessing facility in Cebu.

Earlier commissioned by 2GO, Dr. Michael O’Brien from International Tankers Oil Pollution Federation yesterday had a closed-door meeting with Mayor Michael Rama to discuss his own assessment on the oil spill mostly affecting Cordova town.

The British expert, after the meeting, left and did not join the command conference.

“Dr. O’Brien relayed to Mayor Rama his recommendations and also gave precautionary measures in case the oil enters the waters of Cebu City,” Salvio explained.

He reiterated that the oil spill crisis “is a manageable thing, not as catastrophic as shown in papers.”

Cebu City Bantay Dagat Commission Director Ranulfo Sebusa assured that the oil spill has not yet entered the city’s jurisdiction but continued monitoring is still implemented.

The 2GO representative further stressed that they have initially contacted UP Visayas expert Dr. Rex Sadaba who earlier went to the oil spill area to conduct their own assessment.

“We are in communication with Dr. Sadaba and we are set to discuss their assessment to be incorporated with Dr. O’Brien’s for us to come up with scientific ways to address the oil spill,” Salvio said.

Salvio added 2GO has finally reconciled the figures of fatalities, survivors and missing persons with the Philippine Coast Guard but Cebu Station Commander Weniel Azcuna said the official announcement and update of data will be done today at the Provincial Capitol.

On the other hand, Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes continued to update Rama with their record and census.  Cosmopolitan’s Bong Ebo reported that as of 10:30am, they got a total of 80 bodies including one torso and three body parts. Fifty-three were identified, 23 remain unidentified and seven were cremated.

Azcuna revealed that the divers have identified one leak source but is beyond their reach because it is blocked by metals and they could not reach to plug it.

“What they did today, in order to minimize leak was they sprayed dispersants,” Azcuna said.

The suspension of using and making hair boom still holds, as per Rama, while the coconut husk boom utilization still depends on the scientific explanation and opinion.

A video on how to make an oil spill boom made from coconut husks will be presented by 2GO at the command conference at 2 p.m. today. — (FREEMAN)