Batangas port detachment chief, 4 others relieved over ferry tragedy

MANILA, Philippines – The chief of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) detachment of a port in Batangas City and four other officers were relieved pending investigation to determine if they should be held liable for the death of 12 passengers of the ill-fated M/B Commando 6.

PCG commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo ordered the relief of Chief Petty Officer Nolasco Ramirez, head of the detachment at the Port of Sta. Clara in Batangas, and members of the boarding team for that day Petty Officer 3 James Laurelles, Petty Officer 2 Isabelo Dimapiles, PO2 Leonardo Gloriaga, and Seaman First Julius Panopio.

Tamayo said the liability of PCG personnel would be determined by the investigation being conducted by the Special Board of Marine Inquiry (SBMI) in Southern Tagalog.

“They have been relieved last Sunday. There will be an administrative investigation because the procedure here at the PCG is that the boarding officers would have to verify the entries in the Master’s Oath of Safety Departure (MOSD) before they allow the ship to sail,” said Tamayo.

“It appeared that the M/B Commando 6 first reported that it had eight passengers, but I received information that when the vessel has already left port there was a second MOSD allegedly indicating that there were 42 passengers on board. But this still needs to be verified,” he added.

PCG district commander Commodore Cecil Chen reported the vessel’s capacity was 42 passengers plus five crewmembers, or a total of 47. But the actual number of passengers on board was 62 plus five crewmembers or a total of 67, thus it allegedly had 20 excess passengers.

Tamayo said that he called off the search and rescue operations last Sunday and that the last count was 12 people dead when the 12.45 gross ton motorized boat capsized near Verde Island off Batangas while the vessel was on its way to Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro.

“It appeared that all of the passengers have been accounted for because no relative or friend has come forward to claim that their love one is still missing,” he added.

The fatalities include Albino Pablico, 55, and Gregoria Pablico, 58, from Sta. Cruz, Manila; Joena Perez, 25, of Batangas City; Desiree Teodoro, 20, of Taytay, Rizal; Melanie Acedo, 30, and daughter Beatrice, 3, of Sta. Mesa, Manila; Nina and Ricci Cads of Binangonan, Rizal and Japanese tourist Hosotani Choji.

Of the 12 fatalities in the incident, 9 were adults and 3 were children.

Marina orders boat owner to stop operations

Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) spokesman Ricky Hora said that the agency has already issued a show cause order to the boat’s owner, Ilagan Shipping Lines, that grounded the firm’s seven vessels.

He said the ship owner was also told to pay compulsory passenger insurance, wherein each victim’s family is entitled to receive P200,000. As for the passengers who survived the incident but were brought to hospital, they would get P50,000.

The Marina reportedly issued yesterday Memorandum Circular 2009-013 that imposes a one-year suspension of all authorized Certificates of Public Convenience (CPC) of ship owners proven to have loaded excess passengers and crew from the Marina authorized ship capacity.

The CPC of Ilagan Shipping lines Water Transport was issued on Jan. 30, 2006 that would remain valid until Jan. 30, 2011.

The memorandum also imposed a three-year disqualification from operating ships from the date of accident.

Initial investigation showed that the M/B Commando 6 left the Port of Sta. Clara in Batangas last Saturday at 11 a.m. and was on its way to Puerto Galera when it reportedly encountered big waves that broke one of boat’s bamboo outriggers, flipping it over and causing the ship to capsize.

Meanwhile, PCG authorities are also investigating the crew of two vessels that allegedly passed by the sinking M/B Commando 6 without offering help, while some passengers reportedly snapped pictures.

The PCG said that based on the accounts of some of the survivors, there were other vessels that passed by but instead of rendering assistance to them they just took photographs and videos of the sinking outrigger boat.

“As of now, we have not yet identified the names of these passing ships, but I am hoping that this information would be available to us once the SBMI conducts its investigation,” Tamayo said.

Investigators have identified the two other passenger vessels that allegedly passed by the sinking ferry without stopping to help and want to question the crews of both of the vessels, Tamayo said. Authorities did not release the names of the vessels.

Survivor Ramon Eugenio, who lost his 2-year-old son and nephew in the tragedy, said he was hoping that the crew of the two passing vessels would throw life vests but instead passengers took pictures and video and continued on their way. – With Marvin Sy, AP