BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — The captain and the crew members, who were allegedly drunk while on duty, of the RORO (roll-on/roll-off) vessel that went astray on New Year's Eve, were fired by their management.
Nancy Dy, owner of LCT Archangels Navistar, told Bombo Radyo on Saturday that her firm has dismissed from work Capt. Lodovico Ursia, three more officials and 13 crew members due to the incident.
Twenty-four Bacolod passengers of the LCT Archangels Navistar bound for Iloilo on Dec. 31 were unable to spend the New Year with their families after the ship went astray to Pulupandan port, some 30 kilometers south of Bacolod.
The ship left BREDCO port in Bacolod at 8:30 p.m. of Dec. 31 and would have reached Dumangas port in Iloilo in two-hour time. However, it mistakenly docked at Pulupandan port, and had to pass through Guimaras Island, causing travel time to be extended to more than six hours.
The passengers panicked upon learning that their ship docked at the wrong port, while the crew allegedly went into hiding when passengers complained of the problem. The vessel eventually docked at Dumangas port at 2:55 a.m. of Jan. 1.
Dy said her company has hired a new captain and crew members, adding that partying and drinking of liquors while the ship is sailing are strictly prohibited.
The captain, however, denied they were drunk on the night of the travel, saying that the strong waves and heavy rains caused zero visibility, which brought them to Pulupandan and Guimaras Island instead.
Philippine Coast Guard-Bacolod head, Lt. Commander Glen Daraug, had earlier recommended a mandatory cancellation of license lof the vessel's captain. (FREEMAN)