CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The recent oil slick found along the shorelines of at least two coastal villages in the town of Pola did not come from the tanker that sank off the waters of Naujan town in February last year, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official here said on Saturday.

In an interview with the program Yan Tayo aired over Teleradyo Serbisyo and DWPM 630 Khz AM, PCG Oriental Mindoro Station chief Capt. Airland Lapitan said that the oil slick found along the coast of Barangay Buhay na Tubig and Barangay Bacawan in Pola town could not have come from the sunken ship MT Princess Empress.

He said if the oil had come from the sunken tanker, it would have moved in the northward direction. He added that the oil may have originated from sea vessels traversing Tablas Strait.

"It could not be possible that the oil came from the sunken as the trajectory of the slick is northward affecting the southernmost part of the town while the ship is way over the northern side of the Pola," Lapitan said.

He also said that the oil from the sunken tanker had already been siphoned out.

"If there would be remnants of the oil, it would be insignificant and can be dissolved by the salt water," Lapitan said.

Meanwhile, Pola Municipal Administrator Meynard Axalan said over the telephone that the tar balls found along the coast of Pola town is "an isolated incident and are not related to the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress.

"The tar balls monitored in May at Barangay Misong, Puting Cacao and Tagumpay are believed to have come from the same unidentified boat while the recent oil slick found in Bacawan and Buhay na Tubig are believed to have come from one of the passing boats in the Tablas Strait which is a major shipping route," Axalan said.

Tar balls were also monitored in coastal areas in this city in April.

The tanker MT Princess Empress sank off the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on February 28, 2023 that caused a massive oil spill, affecting the coastal towns of the province.

More than one year after the incident, there are still affected fishermen who have not received the promised compensation from the ship's owners and the fuel subsidy promised by the national government.