A fishing boat with 70,000 liters of diesel sank off the coast of Calatagan, Batangas on Sunday,
At least 13 crew members of the Anita DJ II fishing boat were rescued, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Monday.
The Anita DJ II sank around seven nautical miles off Cape Santiago, Barangay Bagong Silang on Sunday morning.
The PCG said the multi-role vessel BRP Bacagay was dispatched to respond to the distressed vessel that sank at around 3:17 p.m. on Sunday.
According to the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the vessel bound for Palawan was sealed, which may prevent an oil spill.
“Six months after MT Princess Empress, we are threatened with another oil spill that may poison the vulnerable ecosystem of Verde Island Passage (VIP) even as issues from the previous spill remain unresolved,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Protect VIP Convenor.
“The cargo carried by Anita DJ II is much smaller than that of MT Princess Empress and there seem to be seals that would prevent a spill, but the government must still act fast to ensure that these seals hold and do not cause another ecological disaster,” he added.