Survivors of ship sinking give conflicting testimonies

MANILA, Philippines - After talking to 44 passengers of the ill-fated M/V SuperFerry 9, the eight members of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) reportedly came out more confused than enlightened.

Commander Ramon Reblora, BMI legal member, yesterday said they got “mixed-up” and “conflicting” testimonies from the survivors of M/V SuperFerry 9 that capsized last month.

“We need to collate, evaluate and analyze, otherwise we would be lost in their testimony,” Reblora said.

The BMI went to Iloilo and General Santos City last week where they interviewed 37 and seven survivors, respectively. They also talked to two Coast Guard personnel in General Santos.

Among the confusing statements, for instance, was that some survivors said the vessel listed, while others claimed that it was upright throughout the voyage. There were others who slept throughout the trip and were unaware of what happened during the crucial hours.

Some passengers said they heard a sound before the ship tilted, but others recalled that the sound came after the listing. The passengers could also not identify the sound.

Because of the conflicting testimonies, the BMI might have to “reject” some of the statements given by the passengers who were asleep during the voyage.

“Some of those who attended the hearing thought that we were handing out compensations, but we were not. This is not within our jurisdiction. We were there to hear their testimonies,” Reblora said.

The BMI panel is reportedly considering arranging another interview with other survivors but this time from Metro Manila.

For the second batch of interviews, Reblora said they would not be setting standards in choosing interviewees.

“Whoever is interested to be interviewed may come. The only requirement is that they were on board the ship,” he said.

The BMI also has to decide if there is a need to seek an extension for its probe, as it is supposed to complete its investigation and submit its report by Oct. 9, or a month after it was convened.

The BMI has been conducting its investigation for more than two weeks now, but Reblora said it was still too early to draw any conclusion on the sinking of M/V SuperFerry 9.

Initial investigation showed that the 7,268 gross ton M/V SuperFerry 9 left General Santos on Sept. 5, Friday, for a two-day voyage to Iloilo, where it was expected to arrive at around 1 p.m. of Sept. 6, Sunday.

However, at around 3:30 a.m. of Sept. 6, the vessel tilted 25 degrees toward its starboard side. Its captain reportedly made an “abandon ship” declaration, but some passengers opted to wait for the sun to shine before jumping into the water, believing that would be easier for search and rescue vessels to see and rescue them. 

M/V SuperFerry 9, owned by Aboitiz Transport System Corp., sank at around 9:30 a.m. or six hours after the passengers were ordered to abandon the ship. More than 900 people survived and at least 10 were reported killed.