The water samples collected from the ship MV Sarangani, which was caught allegedly discharging wastewater while docked near the Manila Bay on April 25, had no presence of oil content and harmful substance based on initial laboratory results, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Monday, May 3.

“Initially as per laboratory result wala pong oil content and below sa harmful substance na nirelease sa criteria or sa level ng harmful substance yung mga samples ng tubig na nakuha natin. Meaning po wala pong any hazardous things that would impaired the health of a living thing doon po sa kinuhang samples (Initially as per laboratory result there is no oil content and it is below the harmful substance based on the criteria or the level of harmful substance in the water samples collected. Meaning there are no hazardous things that would impaired the health of a living thing in the water samples taken),” PCG National Capital Region (NCR) spokesperson Lt. Michael John Encina told the Manila Bulletin.

Encina said that they are still waiting for the result of the investigation of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to determine the cause of the yellowish liquid at the Manila Bay.

“The PCG conducted a thorough investigation relatively to this matter just to give a fair view in the part nung MV Saranggani at the same time para sa ating mga concerned citizen (for our concerned citizen). We are very fortunate na meron tayong mamayan din na nagiging (to have citizens that also become) Coast Guard din in their own ways,” he said.

Since the result of the investigation revealed that there was no presence of oil and harmful substance, Encina said the cases filed against Emil Neri, the owner of the MV Sarangani, were already dropped as of Monday, April 3.

Encina said the result of the investigation conducted by the PCG was already sufficient to waived charges against the owner.

“Yung pong kaso na finile against MV Sarangani and doon po sa may ari nito na si Mr. Emil ay nadropped and waived na po so yung other samples coming from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) hindi na po kinuha ng team the mere fact na yung samples which were gathered by the team po natin and was brought to laboratory has already been sufficed (The cases filed against MV Sarangani and its owner, Mr. Emil was dropped and waived. The other samples coming from BFAR were not also taken by the team. The mere fact that the samples, which were gathered by our team and were brought to the laboratory has already been sufficed),” he added.