Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11) — The findings of investigators on the construction of the sunken MT Princess Empress may be released this month, according to Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Hernani Fabia.
“We have created a fact-finding team. Up until now, they have not yet reported,” Fabia told reporters on Tuesday. “Maybe in the middle of this month or late of this month, we’ll have the result of the fact-finding team.”
Fabia said the fact-finding team also went to the shipyard that supposedly constructed the tanker.
“We have to validate [since] there are so many information that are not verified.” he added.
Based on MARINA’s records, Fabia earlier said the tanker was newly constructed.
However, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had claimed that MT Princess Empress was a “rebuilt scrap ship.”
READ: DOJ: Case buildup underway vs. owner of sunken tanker
Owned by RDC Reeled Marine Services Inc., MT Empress Princess sank off Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel — causing a massive oil spill.
According to the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), 143 barangays and 121,292 individuals were affected by the oil spill.
