Monday, September 18, 2006
Exec denies involvement on 'gag order' v. Coast Guard
By Nico C. Delfin
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Western Visayas Lito Coscolluela recently denied allegations that he was responsible for issuing gag order on the Philippine Coast Guard, on the current oil spill in Guimaras.
"The coast guards are accusing me, but I have not issued a gag order to anybody. In fact, I've been mediating between Petron and the Coast Guard and now this is the effect of what I've done," Coscolluela said.
He said the impression might have started when he asked the Coast Guard to stop presenting the oil spill issues on the national news and stick to the facts instead.
This after a spokesman from the Coast Guard, in an interview over a national television, said the spill could reach Boracay, "which is very ridiculous to say. There is no way for the spill to circulate around Panay island go through Boracay," he said.
He said he asked the Coast Guard if they could let the locals (Regional Disaster Unit) to deliver the reports as they were taking the responsibility of monitoring and controlling the oil spill.
"But sad to say, I was accused of being responsible behind the gag orders when I'm not," he added.
Rehabilitation plan
Despite the efforts of the Coast Guard, Petron, and other disaster team units to contain the spill, the sunken tanker M/T Solar 1 is still emitting 120 liters of bunker fuel a day.
In a forum led by the University of Saint La Salle-Bacolod Mass Communications Department last Saturday, Coscolluela said, the government does not like the "do-nothing approach" on the spill problem.
He said the Task Force Oil Spill, with other provincial disaster teams, the Coast Guard and Petron, is always ready to control the leak.
Based on the Regional Task Force Guimaras Clean up and Disposal Plan, the source control procedure would take four months while the shoreline clean up will last for six to 12 months.
The clean up would cover the affected residential areas, including the mangroves and amenity beaches as well as its shores.
He said aside from sea patrols they are also conducting air surveillance in the morning and in the afternoon, if necessary.
As to reports that he is defending Petron, he said, "It is unfair. Petron Foundation is committed to stay in Guimaras as long as necessary."
When asked if there is a need to lift the tanker, he said he liked to have it recovered so as to answer questions of what really went wrong.
He added that the oil pilferage issue is just a perception.
As to reports that a tugboat might have damaged the banker haul, creating a triangular hole in the vessel, and caused its sinking at the coast of Guimaras last August 11, Coscolluela said, "Its a crazy angle. It is highly unlikely for such incident to happen during a storm."
Although we have the Fukuda Company (Senshei Maru) that helps us with the investigation, I believe it would be hard to investigate when the vessel is a thousand feet under the sea, he added.
"If we decide to salvage the vessel, it would take a month of mobilizing other salvage ships and two months of actual operation. By then we can have the actual investigation," said Coscolluela.
(September 18, 2006 issue)
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