Cebu Dancing Inmates offer hair for MV Thomas Aquinas oil spill clean-up

The world-famous Cebu Dancing Inmates are helping with the oil spill from the sunken MV Saint Thomas Aquinas, not by dancing the spill away, but by donating their hair to help absorb the oil.

The crowning glories from the 1,600 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center will be used to create an oil spill boom. This will absorb the fuel oil and prevent it from spreading further in the waters of Cordova.

“Nang mangyari ang oil spill ng St. Thomas Aquinas, sinimulan agad namin ang pagpuputol ng buhok upang makatulong sa ating environment,” CPDRC warden Romeo Manansala said in a “24 Oras” report.



“Dadalhin ang aming buhok sa OPON (Lapulapu City) para pampigil sa langis,” added inmate Ricardo Echavez.

The August 16 collision between the passenger ship MV Thomas Aquinas 1 and the cargo vessel MV Sulpicio 7 sank the former off Cebu's coast, killing 75 passengers.

Oil leaking out of the Aquinas' hull has created a slick that has affected a mangrove area in Cordova town. Nearby residents are also at risk as prolonged exposure to fumes from the oil spill poses a health risk.

The Aquinas was said to be loaded with 120,000 liters of bunker oil; 20,000 liters of lube oil; and 20,000 liters of diesel.

The formal investigation into the sea collision by the Board of Marine Inquiries (BMI) will start on, Friday, with Commodore Gilbert Rueras of the Coast Guard Marine Services serving as the chairman of board.

Captain Reynan Bermejo of the MV St. Thomas Aquinas 1 and Captain Rolito Gilo of the MV Sulpicio Express 7 will be called to testify during the investigation. They are currently in the custody of their respective companies.

“In case these companies will not be able to present these key players in the accident, the company might be liable to an obstruction of justice,” said Cmdr. Weniel Azcuna of the Philippine Coast Guard Cebu branch.

The owner of a third ship, a TransAsia Shipping Lines vessel, will also be called during the investigation. The TransAsia ship reportedly overtook the MV Sulpicio Express 7 on the right side just before the accident. — Rie Takumi/DVM, GMA News