A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official on Tuesday dismissed the concerns raised by environmental groups about an oil spill along the fragile Verde Island Passage (VIP) after a fishing vessel carrying 70,000 liters of diesel oil sank off the coast of Calatagan town in Batangas province, on Sunday. The fishing vessel, Anita DJ II, was carrying marine diesel oil when it partly sank after encountering strong rains while traveling from Navotas City in Metro Manila to Palawan province. By Tuesday, however, the vessel has completely sank in sea located some 7 nautical miles (around 13 kilometers) from the shoreline of Cape Santiago in Calatagan’s Barangay Bagong Silang.

Mallari, D. T. Jr. (2023, August 30). PCG dispels fear of oil spill off Batangas. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.