Agencies asked to discuss spill

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Board has invited three agencies to appear before the body in its regular session today and discuss the issue concerning the damage suffered by Cordova town due to the oil spill that followed the collision of two ships last year.

Those who were invited were Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 Director Isabelo Montejo, Maritime Industry Authority-7 Director Nannette Villamor-Dinopol and Philippine Coast Guard-Central Visayas head Commodore William Melad.

Board member Arleigh Sitoy, who asked the body during its session last week to send the invitations, said that he also wanted the concerned agencies to shed light on the issue regarding the environmental damages compensation being claimed by Cordova town.

Mayor Adelino Sitoy of Cordova town was also invited.

Mayor Sitoy, PB member Sitoy’s father, wants P127 million from the protection and indemnity insurance provider of the shipping companies 2GO Group Inc., owner of the sunken MV St. Thomas Aquinas; and Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp, formerly Sulpicio Lines, which owns the MV Sulpicio Express Siete.

Mayor Sitoy had asked for the two shipping firms’ insurance companies but to no avail after 2GO reportedly refused to divulge its insurer while Sulpicio did not respond to the letters sent by the town. This led the mayor to suspect that the two shipping firms may not have been covered by insurance at all.

PB member Sitoy earlier passed a resolution calling on the MARINA-7 to investigate the alleged absence of insurance coverage of the two vessels.

He said there is a need to conduct the investigation in order to prevent delay in the claiming process and to help expedite the recovery of lost livelihood and rehabilitate damaged to marine life in the town.

The oil spill reportedly affected the livelihood sector at P5.1 million, and the mangrove forests at P41.7 million.

Sitoy added that the presence of the concerned agencies in the session today would be an avenue for them to answer questions and clarifications from the members of the Board.  (FREEMAN)