A tugboat submerged in the Iloilo River in Barangay Muelle Loney, Iloilo City.
According to the boat skipper, he was startled when the boat started listing and tipping on its side.
The tugboat submerged in the waters morning of October 27, 2024.
“Agad akong lumabas. Ang mga gamit ko nga wala akong nadala palabas. Hindi na ako maka-akyat dahil ang tugboat nakatagilid na,” Ronnie Villacarlos, the tugboat captain said.
An oil sheen followed because of over 200 liters of oil that spilled into the river.
The oil sheen reached approximately 262 meters long.
Coast Guard Station (CGS) Iloilo placed an oil spill boom to avert further spread of the oil sheen.
Water activities in the affected area were suspended temporarily.
“Upon sa pagkalunod nya, lumabas kaagad ang oil sheen. Then nag-deploy tayo ng oil spill boom upang ma-contain ang oil sheen,” Ensign El John Ga, public information officer of CGS Iloilo, said.
The tugboat was refloated completely by nighttime with the use of a crane.
According to Ga, oil sheen disperses fast compared to oil spill which makes the sheen’s impact to marine life in the Iloilo River minimal.
“Ang diesel kasi mabilis sya mag-disperse so mabilis siyang mag-evaporate. Kaya kung titingnan natin sa ngayon, wala na tayong makikitang oil sheen dito,” Ga pointed out.
In an investigation done by CGS Iloilo, it was determined that the boat captain is culpable for the incident. It turned out that the tugboat started becoming non-operational in 2021.
“Nang nag-high tide, hindi niya na-loosen ang tali. So yun ang dahilan nang pagtagilid niya,” Ga added.
CGS Iloilo will summon the tugboat captain and the company that owns the vessel to determine their liabilities in the said incident.
