THE Department of Justice yesterday said charges will be filed against the owners and personnel of the sunken tanker MT Terra Nova and two other sea vessels responsible for the oil spill off the coast of Mariveles, Bataan and nearby provinces.
DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said this is because there were “red flags” noticed during the initial fact-finding investigation conducted by the inter-agency task force last Friday.
“We are looking at the seaworthiness of the vessels to make sure that licenses issued to them were not based on misrepresentation,” Clavano told reporters in a chance interview yesterday afternoon.
“We will not stop looking for liabilities and accountabilities if there are,” he added.
But Clavano stressed their priority right now is to thresh out the details on how to compensate the fisherfolk and others affected by the oil spill.
Clavano attended yesterday’s meeting between Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla and the owner of the MT Terra Nova at Remulla’s office in Trece Martires, Cavite where they discussed the claims of the affected local fishermen.
