No plans yet for sunken ferry – PCG

MANILA, Philippines -  Authorities are still focused on search, rescue and retrieval operations for passengers and crew of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas with no discussions yet on what to do with the sunken ship.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Commander Armand Balilo stressed this yesterday amidst reports of plans to salvage the ship to prevent the spread of oil leaking from the vessel.

Balilo said the issue of what to do with the sunken vessel has not yet been discussed.

Reports said local authorities are studying ways to remove the sunken ferry that threatens to leak more fuel into a busy waterway in Cebu.

The ferry may either be refloated, cut up for salvage or dragged into deeper water away from the busy shipping channel off Cebu, provincial civil defense chief Neil Sanchez said.

These were the options presented by a salvage team hired by 2Go Travel, the ferry’s operator, which is also investigating ways to siphon out the fuel still inside the vessel to prevent further leaks from polluting the area, according to Sanchez.

“They will suck out the fuel, then refloat it or cut it up, or drag it into a deeper portion of the ocean,” he said.

Sanchez, however, said operations could not begin until divers had removed numerous bodies still inside the ferry, which sank on Aug. 16 after colliding with a cargo ship M/V Suplicio 7 owned by Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation (PSAC).

Balilo said they were still waiting for an update from PCG Central Visayas District commander Commodore William Melad on the progress of their underwater operations.

Retrieval of the bodies from the ship, lying on the seabed about 30 meters deep, has been hampered by rough seas and debris blocking the divers.

Some of the 120,000 liters of bunker fuel the ship was carrying has already spilt, polluting mangrove sanctuaries, fishing grounds and beach resorts.

Divers have plugged the leak and 2Go Travel has hired fishermen affected by the spill to help clean up the oil along the coastlines of at least 18 barangays.

The lawyer of PSAC said 2Go Travel cannot claim damages as a result of the collision.

Roland Inting said 2Go failed to file its marine protest within 24 hours after the accident, as required by law.

A marine protest is a declaration on oath by the master of the circumstances attending the damage or loss of his vessel, to show that the loss accrued by the perils of the sea.

It is used and designed to authenticate the facts and circumstances of a loss to the insurer and all concerned.

Inting, however, said the victims and the two shipping companies could pursue a case against another shipping company, Trans-Asia, for failure of one of their ships M/V Trans-Asia 9 to help distressed passengers.

Inting said international maritime laws mandate all vessels nearby are duty bound to help victims of maritime disasters.

Trans-Asia allegedly failed to respond to the distress call from the Aquinas and did not go back to help rescue passengers.

Trans-Asia earlier explained their ship was already too far from the site and could not make a U-turn since the channel is too narrow for the ship.

Trans-Asia added that if they went back, their vessel could have run aground, which will put the lives of their 300 passengers at risk. – With Mitchelle Palaubsanon/The Freeman