Rear Adm. Domingo Estera, chairman of the Board of Marine Inquiry investigating the MV Maria Carmela disaster, told reporters during a break in the hearing that they were having difficulty gathering evidence that could indicate what went wrong.
At the House of Representatives, Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras called for a speedy and thorough investigation of the blaze. Paras chairs the House committee on transportation and communications.
Estera said investigators are studying two theories: Either the fire was deliberately set or was accidentally set off by a carelessly thrown cigarette butt.
The board, created by Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez Jr., has until the end of the week to complete its probe.
Most of the victims drowned after they panicked and jumped into the sea without life vests.
Of the more than 200 people rescued, 150 suffered injuries, 70 of them serious. Twenty-nine people remained missing.
Ferry captain Godofredo Erandio told the board that he suspected arson because no untoward incident ever happened during the many times that they transported copra or coconut meat.
Survivors said the fire began in the ship’s hold. A cargo of copra – carried by one of the trucks being transported by the 680-ton passenger and cargo vessel – served as fuel to the fire.
However, third mate Rodel Azuero told the board that the fire may also have been started by a discarded cigarette. He said somebody on the passenger deck may have tossed the cigarette overboard but wind blew toward the copra on the lower deck.
"He is not contradicting the captain’s theory, but he only raised it as a possibility," said Estera.
He added, however, that Azuero’s theory may never be proven.
"We are looking into the cigarette butt theory, while engine fire and sparks from exhaust vents have been ruled out," Estera said. "As for arson, which is hard to establish, everybody would be a suspect."
The investigative panel is hoping that experts, whom they have invited to offer their views next week, can shed some light into the disaster.
The Carmela set sail from Masbate on April 10, carrying a number of trucks packed with dried coconut meat and live cattle. It caught fire around 7:30 a.m.. the following day near Pagbilao Chica island, about an hour away from Lucena, its destination.
After being towed to Lucena, the Carmela smoldered and sank a mile off port three days after.
Government regulators said it would revoke the license of Montenegro Shipping Lines, which owned the Carmela, to operate if found guilty of violating maritime regulations. Montenegro had earlier maintained that it followed safety standards, citing its 35-year record.
Government regulators have barred the rest of Montenegro’s fleet from putting out to sea pending an inquiry into the seaworthiness of its vessels. Coast Guard officials said the Carmela passed a Coast Guard seaworthiness inspection last month.