Thousands stranded at Calapan port

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday that more than 2,000 passengers were stranded at the port of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, and vehicles preparing to embark on ferry boats bound for Batangas had formed long lines since last night.

PCG Calapan station commander Lieutenant Senior Grade Algier Ricafrente said that as of 6 p.m. yesterday the line of passengers and vehicles returning home from their holiday break had stretched to more than two kilometers.

He estimated that there were more than 2,000 passengers inside the port and others were already positioned outside.

“With this crowd, it might take us until Thursday to ferry all of them to Batangas,” said Ricafrente. 

The rush of passengers started at noon last Sunday, and some of the stranded passengers were forced to sleep in the terminal. Many of them came from Caticlan, Aklan.

“The vessels just could not accommodate all the passengers and vehicles. There are about eight to 10 vessels regularly plying the route, and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) even added two more vessels to help ferry the passengers,” Ricafrente added.

It would take two to three hours to travel from Calapan port to Batangas port.

He assured the public that the PCG is doing its best to prevent overloading.

“We are very aware that some of the passengers would be eager to get home and would insist on boarding the vessels, but we would not let that happen,” he said.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker urged survivors from the sinking of MV Baleno 9 to file a class suit against the ship owners and concerned government officials for negligence and dereliction of duty.

Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Rodrigo Plaza said that top officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), and Coast Guard must be made criminally liable for the sea tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 60 people.

Plaza called for the immediate inspection of all passenger vessels because of frequent sea mishaps.

Meanwhile, Caraga Region Coast Guard Commander Nestor Torre said they will not allow M/V Millennium 1 to sail until the Marina in Surigao City gives the go signal and certifies the ferry as sea worthy.

Last Saturday, the ferry owned by Millennium Shipping Corp. plying the Surigao-Southern Leyte route retuned to Lipata port in Surigao City after its engine conked out.

All 62 passengers and crew of Millennium 1 were transferred to another boat on the same day.

In Metro Manila, the Coast Guard will conduct a two-day intensive diving operation this week to retrieve all the bodies from the wooden-hulled M/V Catalyn B, which sank near Limbones island.

Commodore Luis Tuason Jr., Coast Guard National Capital Region-Central Luzon commander, said they intend to resume their diving operations on Jan. 6 and 7.

“We hope to complete the search on Thursday... We would not stop until all the bodies have been recovered,” he said.

Tuason could not say exactly how many bodies were trapped inside the boat.

Some of the bodies might have been covered under the clutter, he said. 

Tuason said that the vessel’s owner, San Nicholas Shipping Lines, would shoulder the hiring of the five divers, who are expected to do six to seven dives a day.

“This would be minimal cost to the shipping line because we have friends at the PCG who would want to help,” he said.

Two divers from each team would search through the engine, main deck and second deck, he added.

In the early stages of their search and rescue operation, the PCG found the remains of Beverly Cabinillo, 36; Relly Morales, 71; and Welmar Tanayan, 27. Last Saturday, they retrieved the bodies of Alex Masangkay, 30, and Lea Ann Tejoso, 23.

There are 46 survivors and 22 others are still missing.

Tuason said they called off search and retrieval operations for three days, since last Sunday until today, to give them time to review the video footage taken by PCG Auxiliary Captain Matthew Caldwell and the Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) of the salvaging firm Malayan Towage last Saturday.

Lt. Cmdr. Arman Balilo, Coast Guard spokesman, said in just 10 days, Dec. 24 until Jan. 2, they have recorded seven maritime incidents.

A majority of the vessels either ran aground or lost power at sea, he added.

The biggest tragedies were the sinking of Catalyn-B and Baleno 9, where 11 people have died, Balilo said.

At the Senate, Sen. Richard Gordon assured families of victims of the Baleno 9 sinking that he would extend legal aid and help them file charges against the owners of the ill-fated vessel.

Speaking at the “Kapihan sa Manila Hotel” forum, Gordon said families of the victims have been trooping to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), which he chairs, asking for legal assistance in claiming damages from Besta Shipping Lines, owner of Baleno 9.

“Maraming lumalapit sa amin na humihingi ng tulong at nagrereklamo na binabarat sila nung may-ari ng barko kaya humingi ako ng tulong sa mga kaibigan na abogado para tulungan yung mga biktima,” he said.

Gordon said he has tapped lawyers who are readying a civil case against Besta Shipping Lines.

The civil case will help families of the victims claim damages from the ship owners, he added.

Gordon said the lawyers are now initially talking to three or four families of the victims.

Gordon said families of the victims are each entitled to P200,000 in insurance claims. However only those listed in the ship’s manifest are entitled to claim insurance, he added. - Ben Serrano, Evelyn Macairan, Mike Frialde