Ubay, Bohol, Philippines, 6315

A P50,000 reward awaits for anyone who can provide or lead authorities into identifying the culprit behind the reported oil spill off Danajon Double Barrier Reef.

The Bohol Coastal Resource Management Task Force (BCRMTF) had proposed to Capitol the cash incentive as the investigation is being intensified, spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, headed by Nestor Canda, earlier sent an environmental disaster assessment and probe team to the affected area Thursday last week after Governor Edgar Chatto called for investigation on the reported oil-spill.

It may be recalled that two weeks ago, environmental advocates in Bohol howled over reports that an oil spill was fast spreading near Jao and Bilang-bilangan Dako islets off Bien Unido Bohol.

Fishermen from the island said a passing vessel could have dumped the oil while negotiating the channel on the evening of January 6.

This was also corroborated by Bien Unido Police through PC/Insp. Felicito Garcia, Police chief who made a blotter entry which showed that, "around 7 p.m. last January 6, MV Elizabeth deliberately dumped / splashed its waste of used oil in the sea."

It was not stated how Bien Unido Police came up with the blotter entry.

Bien Unido Mayor Rey Nino Boniel has ordered his police to investigate, following an instruction from Gov. Chatto.

While nobody was able to see the vessel dump its waste oil, fishermen in the area said, apart from MV Elizabeth, there were no other boats transiting the area on that night.

According to the probe team which consolidated their post-mission findings Tuesday, they believe the culprits dumped around 600 liters of used oil in the areas affected.

The team also said they documented the oil spill affecting around 1.450 kilometers, despite the fact that the area is exposed to inter-island currents and strong winds.

Beyond circumstantial evidence of the vessel allegedly dumping the oil, not one in the area could positively identify the culprit as yet, said probe team members.

They however believe that there could be somebody out fishing that night who could have seen the dumping. Their initial investigations yielded no witnesses so far.

But Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Canda is firm in his belief that there could be somebody who could have seen the dumping vessel on that fateful night.

We still would need to go to other neighboring islands to urge fishermen who were out that night to ask them to come out, and the reward may encourage them, Canda said.

"It must be Elizabeth, stresses a fisherman who asks not to be named.

"We only noticed the oil on the shorelines of Bilangbilangan Dako early morning of January 7, so it has to be dumped the in the evening," he said in Cebuano.

According to Canda, anyone helping the probe team and the council would be recommended for witness protection to assure his safety.

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TBS