PCG to start probe of ferry sinking; GMA hits slow start

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will begin this week its probe on the cause of the sinking of MV Blue Water Princess off Quezon province last Thursday.

This as President Arroyo reprimanded officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the PCG for their slow investigation into the sinking.

During a lengthy cabinet meeting in Malacañang, MARINA and PCG officials told Mrs. Arroyo that the formal investigation would be finished by September but Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the President wants it completed by mid-August.

Coast Guard Spokesman Lt. S/G Armand Balilo earlier said they have already asked the owner of the roll-on, roll-off ferry, AC-Joy Express Liner, for the retrieval of the sunken vessel.

He said the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) is set to convene in the coming days to start its probe.

Investigators have already discounted the possibility of overloading as cause of the tragedy that left 11 people dead.

Coast Guard officials likewise said initial findings showed the ferry appeared to have complied with safety standards. But they stressed they would still look into the alleged wrong storage of rolling cargo as another angle.

“Just like what was done during the investigation on the sinking of MV Doña Paz in 1987, it is important to examine the condition of the ferry. A closer look at the vessel after the incident is important in our investigation since it could give us more clues as to what really happened,” Balilo explained.

Balilo was referring to one of the world’s worst sea disasters when the inter-island ferry Doña Paz collided with an oil tanker off Mindoro in December 1987, killing an estimated 4,000 people.

Members of the BMI, led by PCG Southern Tagalog District Commander Capt. Rodolfo Isonera, met yesterday and consolidated information and testimonies gathered on the incident.

Isonera said they would summon the ship captain, Virgilio Retardo, and other officers during the hearing. Survivors would also be invited to help the BMI draw a picture of the ferry a few minutes before it sank.

The Blue Water Princess, operated by Blue Magic Ferries, left Lucena on Wednesday afternoon en route to Masbate. The ferry, however, encountered strong winds and huge waves near Quezon at around 3 a.m. Thursday.

The 61-year-old ship captain earlier told Coast Guard officials he saw huge waves so he opted to turn sideways to hide at the Bondoc peninsula. But some 500 meters away from the island, the ship ran aground causing its hull to crack.

He claimed it was purely an accident and there had been no miscalculation on his part.

An official of MARINA has virtually defended the decision of Retardo to hide the ferry from the huge waves. MARINA enforcement unit acting chief Arnie Santiago said there could have been more casualties if the captain had done otherwise.

Santiago reportedly explained that Retardo might be spared from criminal charges, but not from administrative sanctions.

Rescue teams ended on Monday search and retrieval operations, concluding there were no more missing passengers after four days of underwater operations.

Coast Guard Commandant Damian Carlos said they have coordinated with the National Disaster Coordinating Council and reconciled final figures at 11 casualties and 124 survivors.

“We have stopped search and rescue operations as compartments of the ship were confirmed to be empty. The general direction of debris and dead bodies is toward the shoreline so we can safely assume all survivors and casualties have already reached the shore by this time,” explained Carlos.   – With Paolo Romero