The tanker MT Princess Empress that caused a massive oil spill when it sank in Oriental Mindoro with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel on Feb. 28 sailed nine times despite having no updated authority to operate, senators said Tuesday. In a hearing on the oil spill, Senators Cynthia Villar and Risa Hontiveros cited a report submitted by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) that said the MT Princess Empress, a new ship, was not included in the certificate of public convenience issued to its owner, RDC Reield Marine Services (RDC).

Ramos-Araneta, M., & Casas, W. (2023, March 15). Sunken tanker no sail permit. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.