Another vessel in hot water for ‘failure to help’ victims

CEBU, Philippines - Apart from investigating the two vessels that collided last Friday night in the seas off Talisay City, Cebu, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will also look into reports that another vessel was in the area when one of the ships sank but failed to respond to the distress call.

“It is not only protocol but a must for you as responsible captains, if you are within the vicinity, to respond to a distress call,” PCG Cebu Station Commander Weniel Azcuna said.

The vessel reportedly passed by the area shortly after the two ships collided and failed to stop to help rescue the passengers.

He explained that ship captains can detect, within a certain distance, distress calls from other vessels.

Azcuna said that if it is indeed true that a ship passed by and refused to stop, then the captain would be held liable.

He explained though that there are also certain limitations like for tanker vessels which are restricted to go near if there is collision.

In the marine protest of MV Sulpicio Express Siete, Captain Rolito Gilo reportedly stated that prior the incident, he let another vessel, Trans-Asia Nine, overtake them.

The Freeman tried to contact Trans-Asia management but to no avail.

Azcuna said they are hoping to acquire the Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS), a safety system used in sea vessel management that can be helpful to avoid collisions like what happened between MV Saint Thomas Aquinas and MV Sulpicio Lines Express.

Azcuna explained that like an airport system, the VTMS can help in directing traffic for incoming and outgoing vessels in a particular area.

In fact, he said that three weeks prior the sea mishap last Friday, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) came to Cebu to inquire about the VTMS, which has been a plan of the Cebu Port Authority.

JICA reportedly offered to help in the installation of the project and they have already started the initial survey, said Azcuna.   The VTMS is currently in place in Manila and Batangas ports.

Meanwhile, the casualty count from the ill-fated MV Saint Thomas Aquinas has reached 71 casualties while 49 remain missing.

There were 750 rescued passengers and crew members.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council Head Neil Sanchez said they could not resume diving operations yesterday afternoon due to rough seas.

In the morning, divers retrieved six bodies after they went inside the ship.

Azcuna said beds and chairs floating inside the ship made it harder for the technical divers.

The oil spill from MV Saint Thomas Aquinas continues to spread as the PCG are having a hard time patching the source of the oil.

“Right now, we don’t have any way of controlling the oil but we are trying to mitigate the effect of the oil by spraying chemical dispersants,” Azcuna said.

He added that they are also waiting for recommendations from experts hired by 2GO on how they can stop the oil from spilling out from the vessel.  — (FREEMAN)