Petron takes responsibility for Cavite oil spill

Petron Corp. on Monday took responsibility for an oil spill last week that has affected at least four towns in Cavite.

In a statement, Petron president Lubin Nepomuceno also apologized to the communities affected by the spill, and promised to help resolve the situation as soon as possible.

"At this stage, we take responsibility for this unfortunate incident. We sincerely apologize and assure all the communities affected that we will strive to resolve the situation at the soonest possible time," Nepomuceno said in a statement posted on Petron's Facebook page Monday afternoon.

Nepomuceno also said the company will "pursue proper remediation and clean-up of the areas affected, aiming to restore the means of livelihood of the local communities."

In the meantime, Nepomuceno said Petron "will continue to give the assistance needed by residents affected by the spill."

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had said at least four towns were affected by the oil spill.

The Philippine Coast Guard said its initial findings showed the spill stemmed from a leak in a pipe of Petron's facility in Rosario town.

However, Petron said its own check showed that its receiving pipe was clean.

Coast Guard officials also said they are investigating a tanker as the cause. The owner of the MT Makisig also denied being the cause of the spill. — BM, GMA News