After almost a month of being stuck in Bacud Reef in Sarangani Bay, the tanker M/V Double Prosperity remains stuck as of Friday as salvors failed in their third attempt to pull the ship off the reef.
Salvor Malayan Towage Company was scheduled to conduct another operation Saturday, to take advantage of the high tide. No update of said operation was available as of posting.
On Friday, refloating procedure was made from two to six in the morning but the ship failed to move. The salvor employed three tugboats to pull the ship but to no avail.
The salvage company is under the command of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which has been securing the ship’s vicinity from day one. On-scene commander of the PCG Lt. Commander Richard Marfe has been on board M/V Double Prosperity since May 9 with five other Coast Guard personnel.
"The tide and current table indicated high tides from June 1 to 3," Marfe said.
He said the ship's water ballasts have been emptied and pressurized in order to add buoyancy particularly at the fore of the ship.
Last week, Marfe said, the salvor has already transferred 2,100 metric tons of cargo to a chartered ship that can carry up to 4,000 metric tons. A barge is also in the area to carry an additional 2,000 metric tons of cargo.
The PCG's BRP Romblon commander Joseph Coyme is guarding M/V Double Prosperity and its vicinity. Bacud Reef is about 50 nautical miles from the Coast Guard station in General Santos City.
Ship owner Yano Kaiun Co. Ltd. of Japan promised to compensate the Provincial Government with US$ 800,000.