MV Fortuner owner told: Tell us your plans to remove trapped fuel

TALISAY City officials want to know the plans of the shipping company that owns MV Fortuner, which sank off the waters of Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City, more than a month ago.

Councilor Antonio Bacalso Jr., chairman of the environmental committee, said that he would want to know Seen Sam Shipping Company’s plans regarding the siphoning of 4,000 liters of bunker fuel inside the MV Fortuner.

However, Talisay City Legal Officer Giovanni Sususco is coordinating with the Seen Sam Shipping Company representatives to discuss the developments of the siphoning of the bunker fuel inside the sank vessel.

“We are waiting for the results of their discussions, and we will let Attorney Sususco (inform us of) what to do next,” Bacaltos added.

CDN tried to contact Dionlett Ampil, Cebu Station for Philippine Coast Guard commander, but he could not be reached for comment.

In an earlier report, the Coast Guard will be the one to decide which salvor company the shipping firm would present would do the siphoning of the ill-fated vessel.

The bunker fuel inside the vessel posed an environmental threat to the Lagundi Reef, a marine sanctuary, which is a 2.4-hectare coral reef and about 1.5 km from Barangay Poblacion.

The vessel sank off the waters of Barangay Cansojong which is near Barangay Poblacion.

MV Fortuner was loaded with 1,500 to 2,145 pieces of steel billets which weigh 2,175 to 3,110 tons when it sank off the waters of Barangay Cansojong last May 7.

The MV Fortuner left General Santos City last April 26 and arrived off the waters of Talisay City on April 30 where it was loaded with steel billets.

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