BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
GUIMARAS – The provincial government here and affected residents will no longer pursue court charges against the owner of M/V Sportivo that sank in the waters between this island province and Iloilo City in January.
Seen Sam Shipping, Inc. has agreed to pay oil spill-affected fisherfolk, the local government units of Jordan and Buenavista, and the provincial government, said Engr. Raymund Moderes, executive assistant of Gov. Samuel Gumarin.
It will shell out a total of P2,190,000, disclosed Moderes.
The money will be officially turned over on May 19 at the provincial capitol.
According to Moderes, P1,861,720 will go to 729 claimants – mostly fisherfolk from the towns of Buenavista and Jordan displaced by the oil spill in the aftermath of the cargo ship’s sinking.
A total of P179,437 will be paid to the provincial government for the expenses it incurred cleaning up the oil spill.
The local government of Jordan will get P142,184 and Buenatista, P8,344.
According to Moderes, the amounts were based on the damage report submitted by the two local government units.
Moderes also said Seen Sam Shipping, Inc. has finally found a company to salvage the sunken M/V Sportivo – PCLK Mercantile.
Salvage operations actually started two weeks ago but the Iloilo Strait’s rough waters were proving to be a challenge, Moderes said.
The retrieval operation may stretch for three months, he added. The ship will be dismantled piece by piece.
M/V Sportivo was loaded with 28,000 sacks of fertilizer when it sank after hitting another cargo vessel, M/V Jehan-5.
It also had about 12,000 liters of Special Fuel (SF) 0400 and 1,000 liters of SF 0460 (bunker and crude oil).
M/V Sportivo sank some 1,500 yards off the mouth of the Iloilo River. Its 29 crew members including the vessel captain survived.
Strong wind and current caused M/V Sportivo to drift fast and collided with M/V Jehan-5, said vessel captain Nemesio Igona.
M/V Jehan-5 was unharmed but M/V Sportivo sustained a big hole on her portside midship, took in seawater, and eventually sank.
Igona and his crew were supposed to transport their fertilizer cargo to Palawan.
Gov. Gumarin previously threatened to sue Seen Sam Shipping, Inc. for its slow response to the oil spill and the company’s perceived indifference to the plight of mostly Guimaras fishermen affected by the oil spill.
Fishermen have been complaining of dwindling fish catch since M/V Sportivo sank on January 19.
Gumarin had asked Seen Sam Shipping, Inc. to help in the livelihood of the displaced fishermen and their families but the company was initially hesitant./PN
