"Drunken" captain, crew dock RORO at wrong port

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A RORO (roll-on, roll-off) vessel bound for Iloilo from this city mistakenly docked in Pulupandan town of Negros Occidental on New Year's Day, and its captain and crew were being blamed for allegedly being drunk while on duty.

Bombo Radyo-Bacolod reported yesterday that the vessel, LCT Archangels Navistar, left Bacolod port at 8:30 p.m. of Dec. 31, and was bound for Dumangas town in Iloilo, but it docked instead in Pulupandan, which is 30 kilometers south of Bacolod, at 2:55 p.m. of Jan. 1.

The RORO vessel had 24 passengers all eager to spend the New Year's Day with their families, the radio reported.

The crew members also reportedly went into hiding after the passengers had panicked upon discovering they docked at the wrong port, Bombo added.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Bacolod head, Lt. Commander Glen Daraug, told Bombo Radyo that the vessel's captain, Lodovico Ursia, and the crew are now facing possible sanctions such as termination from the company and revoking of licenses if proven they were indeed drunk while on duty.

Daraug said the PCG is recommending a mandatory cancellation of license of the vessel's captain.

The shipping company is now conducting its own investigation on the incident and is studying whether to fire or suspend the captain and the crew members, Daraud added.

The RORO vessel, which eventually docked at Dumangas, would have reached Iloilo in two-hours time but because of the incident, the travel time was extended to more than six hours, Bombo added. (FREEMAN)