“There will be cases [of] negligence, incompetence, and for bad practice that will be filed,” Roxas said in a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras.” He, however, added that the current focus is on how to remove the barge.
Authorities are racing against time to remove the damaged barge that caused the oil spill in Estancia town following reports that the spilled fuel has reached areas two kilometers away from the coastline.
Roxas stopped by Estancia to inspect the damage caused by the oil spill during his short visit to Iloilo with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky Soliman and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.
The Cabinet officials visited Iloilo to discuss rehabilitation efforts for typhoon-stricken areas with local officials.
At least 200,000 liters of bunker fuel spilled on the coast of Estancia after Power Barge 103 slammed into the rocky shoreline of Barangay Botongan when the super typhoon struck on Nov. 8.
Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Sr. has ordered the forced evacuation of nearly 1,800 families in the area after the Department of Health reported that air pollution from toxic fumes from the oil spill was “off the charts,” with benzene levels 32 times higher than normal.
The barge’s crewmembers have tried containing the spill by deploying 100-meter spill booms and using a submersible pump, the Coast Guard has earlier said.
An oil dispersant has also been sprayed along Barangay Botongan to control the spread of the bunker fuel.
Gazmin said efforts to remove the barge from the sea has stalled after Napocor encountered problems with the contractor it hired to do the job.
“Kulang sa gamit at expertise [ang na-kontrata] para harapin ang problema,” he said in the “24 Oras” report.
Roxas, however, said Napocor should not use its woes with a contractor as an excuse to delay the total cleanup of the oil spill and the removal of the barge.
“Wala naman silang limitasyon. Pwede silang kumuha ng isa pang kontratista. Ang punto lang dito, kung gusto, makakahanap sila ng paraan. Kung ayaw, maraming dahilan,” he said. — Xianne Arcangel/KBK, GMA News
