By Betheena Kae Unite
The Philippine Coast Guard is now monitoring a possible oil spill from a vessel that ran aground in Cagayancillo, Palawan recently.
Coast Guard District Palawan Commodore Allen Toribio said environmental protection personnel are being alerted in case the vessel spills fuel oil in the area.
MV “Forever Lucky” ran aground when it was being towed for dry docking, according to the Coast Guard Operations Center.
The crew of the ship, on the other hand, is now safe at Cagayancillo after they have abandoned the vessel which was listing and aground, Toribio said.
They will be brought to Puerto Princesa City for further investigation of the incident.
The MV “Forever Lucky,” the Coast Guard disclosed, is the same vessel that was apprehended last year for its alleged involvement in human smuggling in Bataan.
A total of 139 locals from various provinces in the country were rescued from the alleged human smuggling attempt. The ship was bound for Micronesia but was intercepted in Bataan in July 2018.
Investigation then showed that the cruise ship is owned and operated by Farenheit Company Ltd. Before it was apprehended, its last maritime activity was recorded at Orion,Bataan and was preparing to depart the country for Micronesia to transport undocumented number of Filipinos.
The human smuggling attempt involving the ship was tagged as the “first mass human smuggling case in Luzon.”