LIMAY, Bataan — A local official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) denied there was an oil spill from the sinking of the tanker MT Terra Nova on Thursday.

“There was no synch spillage of oil that occurred off the coastal waters of this town, but the media outside Bataan exaggerated their reports to perhaps catch the attention of their readers,” the DENR official who requested anonymity said.

No less than the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), however, confirmed the oil spill to the media.

But the DENR official said that “as of 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, there was no such oil spill in the area as reported by national media. What was seen was a mere oil sheen and (it did) not come from the Terra Nova.”

An oil sheen is “an iridescent appearance on the surface of the water.” The oil sheen had been there before the sinking of the vessel, said the source.

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga on Thursday rushed to Limay to, according to her office, minimize the environmental damage, protect the marine ecosystem and public health, and facilitate the recovery and restoration of the affected coastal area.

She said she would update the media once she got to Bataan.

According to the PCG, the Terra Nova capsized and sank while en route to Iloilo. The tanker was carrying the fuel when the incident occurred. One of the 17 crew members was missing and a rescue operation was underway.

The MT Terra Nova is a Filipino-registered vessel with an overall length of 65.43 meters and a width of 12 meters.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the DENR and other government agencies to assess the environmental damage caused by the oil spill.

During a situation briefing on the effects of super typhoon “Carina” and the enhanced southwest monsoon on Thursday, Marcos instructed the DENR, the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Coast Guard to make an assessment.