Cebu sea mishap more bodies retrieved

CEBU, Philippines - More bodies were found as retrieval operations continue for missing passengers of the ill-fated MV Saint Thomas Aquinas in the seas off Talisay City, Cebu.

As of 5:45 p.m. yesterday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and navy divers, as well as other counterparts including Korean divers, recovered six additional bodies.

A man was identified through an ID in his pocket as Reynaldo Canyas while a woman and two children, a boy and a girl, remain unidentified.

As of 7 p.m., there were 39 casualties at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes and 30 have been identified by their relatives as Domingo Anonat, 67; Niceta Acla, 74; Teohinez Jabinez, 69; Armida Manalon, 59; Hilario Miligro, 53; Alfonso Camanzo; Jonathan Cabaral; Romulo Escropolo, 73; Lolita Butao, 52; Artimia Bunotan, 58; Evelyn Caro, 53; Vicente Ancla Jr., 74; Cresenciana Colipano, 73; Nilen Menia, crew of 2GO; Antonio Arbutante, 75; Cherry Durano; Joshua Diaz, 4; Julius Flores; Eugenia Balacuit; Hemonata Laag; Quennie Galope; Jane Sanchez; Jessamae Bacia; James Sanchez, 4; Eugenia Negro, 51; Marie Rose Dandan, 28; Ruffa Mae Fuentes, 8; Reynaldo Canas, 49; Virginita Agodina, 46 and three-month-old Carl Ian Salas.

The Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) yesterday conducted a reconnaissance dive at Lawis Ledge, Talisay City where the passenger vessel sank.

“The  purpose of the dive was to assess how to enter the ship to retrieve the victims inside.  The two dead bodies our divers retrieved were already outside the vessel,” said Navforcen’ Ensign Jaypee Abuan.

He added that their divers located a baby, about two years old, entangled with a rope near the ship.  However, they had to emerge as they already lack oxygen supply. 

They just put a marker on the area where they found the baby for future retrieval operation.

The divers reached 35 meters deep and found that the ship is already in a stable position.

 The collision hole was about 20 meters from stern and they also saw spillage of oil.

After the reconnaissance dive, Navforcen was able to determine lines and put buoys as well as identify the entrance and exit points of the ship for the retrieval dive.

Commodore William Melad, Coastguard Commander for Central Visayas, said they had to suspend diving operations because of weather disturbances and  rough seas. But surface rescue operations continue.

Based on the list released by Gov. Hilario Davide III during a press briefing yesterday noon, the final number of passengers and crew members was 870.

The passenger vessel was en route to Manila from Nasipit, Agusan del Sur with Cebu as its route stop.

Davide explained that various numbers have been announced on the total number of passengers and crew members based on a supplemental manifest.

The list they released yesterday was already a reconciled data from the PCG and 2GO group.

Out of 870, there were already 751 rescued while 82 are still unaccounted for.

Lito Salvio, Vice President for Operations of 2GO,  said they have provided cash assistance of P5,000 to almost 400 passengers already.

The company also shouldered accommodation expenses of passengers who were temporarily billeted in hotels, hospital bills, as well as burial expenses.

Davide said he was informed that some of the rescued passengers have went back to their hometowns and the shipping company has also paid for their airline tickets.

Melad confirmed that the captains of both ships are alive and that both are under the custody of their respective shipping companies.

MV Saint Thomas Aquinas was led by its captain, Reynan Bermejo while MV Sulpicio Express Siete’s captain was Rolito Gilo.

Melad said there was no need to put under  PCG’s custody since there is no formal investigation yet.

He said though that the shipping companies have agreed with the authorities that the captains and crew members would be made available anytime they are needed for questioning.

Melad said that an investigating team led by the Vice Commandant for Operations of the PCG will be working on the case.

“I would like to emphasize that we are not yet on the investigation and that a different body would really filter out the reason and circumstances of the accident,” said Melad, adding that they did not want to confirm nor deny any speculations on the cause of the accident.

Davide said though that the one at fault will be facing the consequences.

“We assure you that the responsible parties would have to account for whatever is the outcome of the investigation,” Davide said.

He added that formal investigation would definitely be made even with the pronouncement of Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya that the cargo vessel, MV Sulpicio Express Siete, was at fault.

In an interview with the media, Melad said he was not aware of the report that that some survivors had the chance to jump over MV Sulpicio Express Siete but was not allowed by the captain.

Although not confirming any possible angle they are eyeing on the cause of the accident, Melad said, “there was probably non-observance of rules.”

But this, he said, has to be determined by an investigation.

The Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (formerly Sulpicio Lines), owner of the cargo vessel, already filed a marine protest while 2GO is expected to submit in theirs this week.

Meanwhile, local divers were disappointed yesterday as they were allegedly not allowed to assist in the search and retrieval operation.

Around 30 volunteer divers from various diving groups in Cebu waited for some eight hours for Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s go signal to assist the technical divers in retrieving dead bodies.

Alfie Fernandez, vice president of Seaknights, an organization of divers in Cebu, said they decided to pull out from the site by 3 pm as the weather went bad, all the more reason that they could not dive.

While they acknowledge PCG and the Philippine Navy as official divers in the retrieval operation, Fernandez said they should have been allowed to assist.

The rest of the local divers came from Aquanauts Cebu, MS Boats, and PCG Auxiliary.

Melad said there were already some 16 technical divers yesterday, which was enough for the retrieval operation.

 â€œHindi naman sa minamaliit natin sila, but while they were divers, baka ma-endanger pa ang iba saka marami na ring divers kanina. We’re controlling it for safety, not for the efficiency (of divers),” Melad explained.

Nevertheless, the PCG official was thankful to the local divers and welcomes their help until the retrieval operation is ordered stopped. — Niña G. Sumacot, AJ de la Torre, Jessa Agua, Ria Mae Y. Booc/MBG