Maritime reforms eyed as hopes dim for collision survivors

The suspension of two Coast Guardsmen over the collision in Manila Bay which killed at least 27 people was only the start of broader reforms President Arroyo wants to implement in the maritime industry.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye reiterated the planned reforms as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it was no longer expecting to find survivors of the May 25 collision after search operations entered its third day, the maximum period a person can be expected to survive at sea without provisions.

The number of fatalities in the sea mishap rose to 27 yesterday after the bodies of two female passengers were found in Ternate, Cavite and Navotas. However, the Coast Guard identified only one of the two victims while the other remained unidentified in the custody of Navotas coroners.

These developed as Bunye said the ongoing probe into the May 25 collision between the MV San Nicolas and Superferry 12 was only a prelude to wider "institutional" reforms that would affect the entire maritime industry.

The Manila-bound San Nicolas collided with Superferry 12, which was on its way to Cebu, off Corregidor Island last Sunday. All of the confirmed fatalities and those still missing were from the small, wooden hulled San Nicolas.

Philippine Coast Guard chief Rear Admiral Reuben Lista said the Coast Guard would continue the search for survivors but said it was unlikely they would still find any since it was already past 72 hours since the accident.

He said people are only expected to survive at sea for three days without provisions and the stormy seas over the past few days were another factor against finding more survivors.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Armand Balilo said Marines helping in the search found the body of a San Nicolas passenger, identified as Lorelie Ilaya, believed to be between 17 and 22 years old, but admitted Ilaya was not among passengers in the manifest of the San Nicolas.

The Coast Guard earlier said that as many as 30 passengers are still missing but only 12 of them are on the vessel’s passenger manifest.

In Navotas, mussel gatherers found at around 9 a.m. yesterday another body of a woman still wearing a life vest marked "MV San Nicolas" and tied by the waist to an empty lifeboat.

The still unidentified woman was estimated to be around 40 to 45 years old, wearing denim pants and white T-shirt, three rings, a necklace and earrings.

In Manila, policemen also separately recovered from Manila Bay the bodies of a man and a woman who may have been passengers of the San Nicolas.

The man, found around noon Tuesday, appeared to be a muscular, bald Caucasian, 35 to 40 years old, 5’6" to 5’7" tall, wearing a T-shirt imprinted with the word "Australia," an undershirt, black shorts and no underwear,

The badly mangled body of the woman, found midnight Tuesday, was wearing a navy blue T-shirt imprinted with the words "Penshoppe Organic," a white bra, black cycling shorts, earrings and a ring.

Manila police are still coordinating with the Coast Guard to find out if the two bodies were passengers of the San Nicolas.

Meanwhile, the formal inquiry into the incident will start today with the seven-man Board of Marine Inquiry expected to summon officers of the two vessels. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jerry Botial, Nestor Etolle