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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed on Thursday the presence of industrial fuel in the oil spill samples taken from a sunken motor tanker in Oriental Mindoro.

According to the PCG, the sample of the oil spill was taken in the vicinity waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Motor tanker Princess Empress, which sank in the waters off Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, is loaded with around 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil.

The PCG said the oil spill has reached the shoreline of other towns in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, which include Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan and Barangay Aplaya.

It also noted that Barangay Aplaya in Bongabong is around 35 nautical miles away from the area where the motor tanker sank.

The MTUG Titan, a tugboat which is under the Insurance Company ng MT Princess Empress and the Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO) is currently applying dispersant in the affected areas.

Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, PCG spokesman said CG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu ordered the deployment of needed personnel and assets to address the situation in Oriental Mindoro.

"The personnel of the PCG are already there in the area and we are also coordinating with the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources to call the major oil players with oil spill response teams as well as the DENR," he said.

Balilo said in case of a widespread oil spill incident, the Philippines can also tap its partner states like Japan and Indonesia to assist them address the situation.

"If there is really a need for the help of the experts we can always tap our partners like Indonesia and Japan, who's with us in the conduct of exercises every two years to contain ng oil spill in the sea," he said. Robina Asido/DMS