Laguna Lake tragedy: Who’s really to blame?

MANILA, Philippines — While some survivors of the capsized passenger boat in Laguna de Bay off Binangonan, Rizal accused the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of neglect that led to the tragedy, the agency asserted boat operators and passengers must be prudent in ensuring their safety.

A total of 70 people were accounted for after the sinking of motor banca Aya Express in the afternoon of July 27, wherein 27 of them died due to drowning while 43 survived, according to authorities.

The total was way beyond Aya Express’ supposed structural capacity of 60 and seating capacity of 42, the PCG noted.

Marr delos Reyes, who sustained minor injuries, recalled alleged lapses before the boat sailed from Barangay Kalinawan in mainland Binangonan to Talim Island around 1:30 p.m. last July 27. The vessel sank some 50 meters from Kalinawan port.

“Sometimes it happens that some passengers were lazy in writing their names on the manifest,” he said in Filipino during an interview over radio dzBB last July 28.

Only 22 names were in the manifesto submitted by the boat crew to the PCG, but it kept on accepting passengers after the document was filed, according to earlier reports.

The passengers were also not wearing life vests, which were hung on poles on the boat, when it left port, Delos Reyes added.

He also said there were no PCG personnel in the area when the boat sailed.

Delos Reyes noted that the PCG used to be “very strict” in making sure the boat was not overloaded and that all passengers were wearing life vests at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel and capacity restrictions were enforced.

An employee of the Philippine Statistics Authority, he was supposed to visit Talim Island to conduct a census on owners and operators of fish cages in Laguna de Bay when the tragedy hit.

The motorized boat was surrounded with tarpaulins that served as cover for passengers to avoid getting drenched in the rain, Delos Reyes recalled.

He narrated the vessel started tilting to the left after it was hit by unos, the local term for tempest.

At the time, storm signals due to the onslaught of Typhoon Egay had been lifted in most areas in the country.

People were shouting not to move so the boat would stabilize, but it kept on leaning after the left katig – or the pole that kept the boat steady – broke.

They panicked when they saw water seeping into the boat, and it eventually overturned, Delos Reyes said.

Saying he did not know how to swim, Delos Reyes was among those who got trapped and were already drowning, but he survived after he saw light peeping from a small hole on the tarpaulins that covered the boat’s rear side.

“They all knew how to swim but they got trapped because the canopies were locked,” Delos Reyes revealed.

He added his arms got scratches after trying to tear the tarpaulins, until another survivor, whom he thought was a boat crewmember, pulled him up.

Delo Reyes said Aya Express’ front portion sank completely.

Not far from the port where the ill-fated boat left, other boatmen from Barangay Kalinawan helped the PCG in rescuing him and other passengers.

Meanwhile, PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo declared the agency is set to file charges against the skipper and crew of Aya Express, possibly by tomorrow.

Among the charges that may be filed is reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, Balilo said.

According to earlier reports, boat captain Donald Añain has been detained and has apologized for the incident.

During the Saturday News Forum at the Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City yesterday, Balilo also said both the PCG and police would also determine if PCG personnel assigned in Binangonan – who have been relieved – could also be held liable based on evidence and testimonies.

PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu has also ordered the agency’s personnel to add more staff and become stricter in guarding and inspecting ferry boats, he added.

Balilo reminded both operators of sea vessels and passengers to be “responsible” in making sure their journeys are safe and consider the apparent lack of PCG personnel guarding coastal areas.

“If the two PCG personnel will inspect all boats, it will take a whole day and not all boats could sail. What they do is they meet boat operators and brief them about safety protocol,” he said in Filipino.

Also, instead of complaining about dirty and stinking life vests, Balilo asserted passengers have the responsibility of keeping themselves safe by wearing life jackets for the entire trip.

Passengers should also know that they should not ride vessels that they feel are overloaded and do not provide life vests, he added.

“Maritime safety is a collective responsibility that should not be left to regulators. We should help each other and become responsible in following rules,” Balilo said.

Meanwhile, Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos announced he would visit Talim Island and hold a funeral mass at the Santo Domingo Parish for the victims of the Aya Express tragedy “once the (PCG) allows travel.”

“As of now, we pray and offer our holy masses for the eternal repose of those who perished, and implore our God for His grace and strength to all the bereaving families,” he said in an interview over Radio Veritas.

Santos previously ordered all parishes in the Diocese of Antipolo to fulfill so-called mission appeal through “special collection” during masses today, which could help fund assistance for the victims.

The Church-run radio station also reported five parish workers and Denice Aparentado, a teacher of the Our Lady of Peace School in Antipolo City, were among those who died.

Probe

Senators are calling for an investigation into the deaths of 27 people in the Aya Express tragedy.

In a dwIZ interview yesterday, Sen. Grace Poe said there is a need for an independent investigation into the tragedy, which could have been avoided if the PCG had ensured the boat was not overloaded when it sailed to nearby Talim island in Rizal.

The Senate will have to look into why passengers were allowed to ride without life vests and why the boat was allowed to sail and exceed its 42-passenger capacity, said Poe, who chairs the public services committee.

“The loss of lives here is tragic and serious, caused by possible corruption or gross negligence. Persons responsible should not just be relieved from their posts, they should face charges,” Poe said in Filipino.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo said he will also file a resolution calling for a probe on the accountability of the PCG and Maritime Industry Authority.

“Officials should be held accountable here, not just the owner and crew of the ship,” Tulfo said.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada condoled with the families of the victims and called for justice over the incident, lamenting that these maritime disasters continue to happen in the Philippines due to lax safety protocols.

“We must hold those responsible accountable for their actions, or inactions, that may have contributed to this tragedy. There must be full transparency in their conduct of comprehensive and impartial inquiry into the incident,” Estrada said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab