Tanker behind Oriental Mindoro oil spill located

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6) – Authorities have located MT Princess Empress, a tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil which caused a spill after it capsized in the waters off Oriental Mindoro, Governor Bonz Dolor said.

The tanker was located 7.5 nautical miles from Balingawan Point, facing Pola Municipality in Oriental Mindoro, Dolor said during a press briefing on Monday.

Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga revealed this to Dolor in a phone call during the press briefing.

The governor said Yulo-Loyzaga would meet with him on Tuesday to discuss the analyzed data on the exact location of the sunken tanker. It may still contain some oil which could spread to the shores of nearby municipalities, he added.

MT Princess Empress capsized last Feb. 28, spilling oil into the waters of Oriental Mindoro. This affected 34 locally managed marine protected areas in 10 municipalities and some 36,000 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves, and sea grass.

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