Attempts to refloat the sunken cargo vessel in the shoreline of Dumaguete have failed, prompting the Sangguniang Panlungsod to summon the Philippine Coast Guard commander and the ship captain of M/V Even Transport, for an explanation Wednesday.

PCG Dumaguete station commander, Agapito Bibat, said the first salvage team failed to extricate the vessel, and is requesting for another 30 days to unload about 15 tons of bottles of beer to further lighten the cargo. The salvaging permit expired last month.

Bibat said he was not satisfied at the slow retrieval operations that started on January 12 this year. But he assured the SP that there is nothing to worry about oil pollution, because the fuel and lubricants on board were suctioned two days after the vessel ran aground due to tropical storm “Sendong” on December 17, 2011.

He added that the cargo vessel cannot impede the navigational passage of other vessels because it is located near the shoreline.

Jose Lavandria, chief diver of the Steel Ray Salvaging Services, said that if the weather cooperates, the company will be able to unload the remaining heavy freight off the ship in three weeks.*JG

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