PCG: Oil siphoning from sunken tankers won't contaminate bay

Despite the planned siphoning of oil and diesel from two sunken motor tankers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) gave assurance that these activities would not further contaminate the waters of Manila Bay.

- EVELYN MACAIRAN

"We are appealing to the public to be patient. But we are assuring them that we are doing everything we can so that the siphoning activity would not alter the present status. At present, the Manila Bay is clean. We would want to keep it that way even if we start with the siphoning.

Safety will still be our primary concern, PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said yesterday.

Siphoning operations will start soon, he noted.

Motor tankers Terra Nova and Jason Bradley sank off the waters of Bataan last month.

"There is still no oil spill and we have controlled the oil sheen (of Terra Nova).

Yesterday, they conducted the simulation (of the siphoning) and it was satisfactory.