No oil spill from sunken ferry - Coast Guard

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – No oil has leaked from the hull of the M/V SuperFerry 9 which sank off Zamboanga del Norte on Sunday, the Coast Guard said yesterday.

Commodore Rodolfo Isorena, Coast Guard district commander, said the SuperFerry 9 sank some 923 fathoms to a depth so cold that the ship’s logistic fuel could freeze.

Fuel would usually take about 20 to 30 days to freeze, he added.

Isorena assured fisherfolk in the Zamboanga Peninsula that the sunken ship poses no danger to the marine environment.

“As of this date there has been no report of spillage except for the initial oil sheen,” he said.

Two Coast Guard ships and a vessel from Aboitiz Transport System equipped with buoys to control oil spillage have been deployed at the site, Isorena said.

House joins probe

The House of Representatives has joined the probe into the sinking of SuperFerry 9.

Comdr. Ernesto Valdez Jr., Board of Marine Inquiry secretariat head, said they have received a letter from the House committee on transportation to attend a hearing on Sept. 15.

The letter was addressed to Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, he added.

Valdez said when he attends the committee hearing he would be accompanied by Vice Adm. Ramon Liwag, deputy commandant for operations; Comdr. Ramon Reblora, legal service chief; Comdr. Ramon Lopez, deputy chief of staff for logistics; and Lt. Comdr. Allan de la Vega, Maritime Safety Affairs chief.

Reblora, a vital Board of Marine Inquiry member, might be absent in the second day of the hearing, he added.

Valdez said the absence of Reblora might lead to the cancellation of the hearing on Tuesday.

“Maybe we could have a half-day hearing since the hearing at the House of Representatives is still in the afternoon.”

Lt. Comdr. Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesman, urged other concerned parties to participate in the probe.

“Even if there is a delay, we would maximize the one-month hearing period,” he said.

‘Most documents sank with the ship’

Aboitiz Transport System Corp. failed to pre-mark the required documents yesterday as they were still collating and completing the documents since some of the documents sank with the ship.

“We would try to reproduce some of them,” an Aboitiz representative said.

Marina had asked Aboitiz to submit the passenger ship safety certificate, Master’s Oath of Safety Departure, Certificate of Vessel Registry, Certificate of Ownership, Minimum Safe Manning Certificate, Coastwise License, Ship Station License, Network Radio Station License, Network Radio Station License, Ship Sanitation Control Certificate, Certificate of Public Convenience, Passenger Manifest, complete crew list, Rider, Load Line Certificate, and the Ship Stability Certificate.

Aboitiz: Do not suspend 4 vessels

Aboitiz Transport System asked the Marina to exclude from the suspension four of its vessels since it was only early this year when they were dry-docked and underwent re-inspection.

These are the M/V SuperFerry 19, M/V SuperFerry 12, M/V Cebu Ferry 1 and M/V Cebu Ferry 2.

However, retired Col. Primo Rivera, Marina deputy administrator for operations, said their technical people would still have to give their reply.

The matter would be forwarded to the Marina Board when it meets on Sept. 25, he added.

Rivera said they are still deliberating on the motion for reconsideration of Aboitiz Transport.

Meanwhile, all its 10 vessels would remain suspended, he added.

Ship stranded off Siquijor

A vessel carrying 242 passengers and crew was stranded for about five hours some 10 nautical miles off Siquijor province, the Coast Guard said yesterday.

Among the 177 passengers were 11 children.

Capt. Edliberto Leyson Jr., skipper of the M/V Butuan Bay 1, said they had been stranded since 7:10 a.m. yesterday and were able to fix the engine after five hours or at 12:45 p.m.

Coast Guard spokesman Balilo said he received a report from their station in Dumaguete that the ship, owned by Carlos Gothong Lines, encountered engine trouble en route to Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental.

The 4,048.85-gross ton ship came from Cebu and upon reaching Polo Point in Plaridel, Siquijor, encountered engine trouble, he added.

Balilo said Leyson called up the Coast Guard to report that one of their engines conked out.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Tamayo immediately ordered assistance to the vessel, he added.

The Coast Guard was instructed to monitor Butuan Bay 1 until it reaches Ozamiz City. – With Evelyn Macairan