The town government of Bolinao, Pangasinan, has asked the owners of the sunken ship, MV Harita Bauxite, to immediately stop the vessel's oil from spilling into the West Philippine Sea to prevent further damaging coastal communities. Lawyer Ayar Montemayor, spokesperson of the Bolinao government, said Mayor Alfonso Celeste had written the ship's owners in Singapore to ask them to plug the holes in the ship's owners in Singapore to ask them to plug the holes in the ship's fuel tank or to remove the fuel to stop it from spreading into the open sea. MV Harita Bauxite, which was carrying nickel ore from Indonesia, sank 17 nautical miles (31.48 kilometers) off Cape Bolinao on Feb. 17 after developing engine trouble. The vessel was on it's way to China.

Cardinoza, G. (2013, March 14). Bolinao asks vessel owners to stop spill. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A12.