SARANGANI, Philippines – The provincial government here assured that the tanker that ran aground, destroying a large portion of Bakud Reef protected area, will be penalized.
In a telephone interview with philstar.com, lawyer Arnel Zapatos, provincial legal officer, said they are already readying the penalties against Panama-registered tanker MV Double Prosperity.
Zapatos however cited that the ship owner has been very cooperative in their investigation and has assured that the firm will pay for the damages in the incident.
He said the company has offered $800,000 compensation on the damage that it created when its ship, loaded with 65,900 metric tons of coal, ploughed through a portion of Bakud Reef.
MV Double Prosperity has destroyed about 127 meters of corals in the area, according to Zapatos.
The reef, which is within the 215,950-hectare Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), is a declared protected area by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 756.
Zapatos added that the shipping company has started its salvage operation today. He said a barge has been sent to the area to tow the vessel away from the reef.
The shipping company will also send a team of expert divers on Friday to check the incident’s damage to the coral reefs, he added.
He said the company however could not explain how the vessel found its way in the area, considering that it is a well-known protected area. - By Jun Pasaylo
