Crewmen try salvaging assets left on sunken ship in Manila Bay

Personnel of the half-submerged cargo vessel MV Palawan Pearl on Friday tried to salvage whatever things of value on the stricken ship lying some 100 meters off Baseco Beach in Manila Bay.

MV Palawan Pearl collided with the Cyprus-flagged utility vessel BKM 104 outside the South Harbor Anchorage area early on Thursday.

According to authorities, the cargo vessel was carrying  3,000 liters of diesel oil when the collision took place.

Photos by Danny Pata

Early on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said it has not monitored any oil spill from the half-sunken vessel so far.

"Wala naman tayong namomonitor pa na oil spill doon sa area," PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said in an interview on GMA News' "Unang Balita."

Balilo added that the  oil on the ship is just an ordinary diesel, and that  in case it spills, it will dissipate because of either the sun's heat or the strong waves. —with a report from Danny Pata/LBG, GMA News