All is well with cargo ship off Ilocos

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities yesterday said a cargo ship with 20 crewmembers from China has not sunk off Ilocos Norte as earlier feared.

Navy and Coast Guard officials said the Panamanian-registered MV Oceanic Union took in water but that its crew managed to pump it out. The vessel was on its way to Subic Bay for repairs.

Coast guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Algier Ricafrente earlier had said the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center reported late Friday that it received a distress call from the ship.

He had said the vessel may have sunk or was sinking since the crew had already abandoned ship, and that a search had been launched. – AP, Teddy Molina, Artemio Dumlao