ENVIRONMENT groups have called on the government for greater accountability, transparency and adherence to the law about the oil spill that is anticipated to enter Metro Manila. The spill, which was caused by the sinking of the MT Terra Nova last week east of Lamao Point, is projected to be the worst in Philippine history, with 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil spreading into the waters.
The Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) recent aerial survey on July 31 led it to release a statement saying that it only observed "minimal and unnoticeable oil sheens" in the coastal areas of affected regions like Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Manila and Pampanga. However, only a few days earlier, the environmental global organization Greenpeace Philippines said it documented the "thick oil slick near Hagonoy ... and the possible oil sheen near Roxas Boulevard."
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