MANILA, Philippines — The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) on Monday reiterated that it did not issue an amendment to the certificate of public convenience (CPC) of the owner of MT Princess Empress to include the sunken tanker in its fleet.
At a Senate panel inquiry last March 13, MARINA said that the tanker had no permit to operate in the form of an amendment to its CPC. But hours later, the Philippine Coast Guard posted on social media a document — a November 16, 2022 decision by the Marina — showing that MT Princess Empress had an approved CPC.
A CPC is issued by the MARINA to a domestic water transport service provider to operate a vessel for commercial or public use, for which no franchise, either municipal or legislative, is required by law.
The Coast Guard, on the following day, said it is investigating the authenticity of the document presented to its personnel, which allowed the vessel to sail at least four times before it sank off Oriental Mindoro and leaked oil into the sea.
But in a briefing on Monday, MARINA-National Capital Region regional director Marc Anthony Pascua denied signing an amended CPC.
“That is not authentic so to speak because we did not issue a CPC amendment. At the same time, I never signed any amended CPC for that matter,” Pascua said.
He added that RDC Reield Marine Service, which owns MT Princess Empress, only has “screened application” for the amendment of its CPC.
MARINA legal service director Sharon Aledo also said that the vessel owner was still lacking documents in its application to amend its CPC.
The Department of Transportation is investigating the questionable CPC. MARINA, an agency under the DOTr, is mandated to oversee the promotion and development of the maritime industry, and to provide effective regulation of shipping enterprises.
Suspension
Aledo also reported that MARINA issued a suspension order against RDC Reield Marine Service last week.
“MARINA has already issued a directive for the shipowner of MT Princess Empress considering they still have other vessels. They have already been suspended. So they are no longer operating,” she said.
MARINA has also approved the release of P33 million from the Oil Pollution and Management Fund administered by the agency for the clean-up and containment of the oil spill. The PGC requested the release of such funds.
Authorities have yet to recover the sunken tanker and contain the oil spill that has disrupted the livelihoods of affected communities and threatened the area’s rich marine biodiversity.