Sinking of RORO vessel not due to ‘Luis’ –Coast Guard

Typhoon Luis was not a factor in Saturday evening's sinking of the roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessel off Southern Leyte, the Philippine Coast Guard said Monday.

In an interview with GMA News TV's “News To Go,” PCG spokesperson Commander Armand Balilo said the RORO vessel Maharlika 2 was allowed to sail because there was only a gale warning and no public storm signal raised in the area at the time.

"Usually po kapag mga ganiyang gale warning, ang affected po niyan 'yung mga maliliit na barko. Usually naman po yung mga malalaki na barko ay may kayang lumayag, wag lang pong masisiraan ng makina o anumang pagkasira doon sa barko," he said.

"Kapag hindi siya directly affected, ang barko ay pinapayagan po siyang maglayag. During that particular time nu'ng umalis ito (Maharlika 2), maayos po ang lagay ng karagatan," added Balilo.

Balilo said the crew cited "dead on water," or a mechanical failure, when they called in for help. "Kaya pinapalagay po namin na wala pong effect 'yung weather doon po sa nangyari for the meantime sapagkat ang report po sa amin ay dead on water siya nu'ng tumawag siya ng saklolo," he said.

"Ibig sabihin, nasiraan siya ng maaaring makina, or steering casualty, at naging additional na lang 'yun sigurong gale warning na sinasabi po natin," he added.

Balilo disclosed that investigation was still ongoing as of Monday.

Search and rescue operations, meanwhile, were still ongoing, "weather permitting," in order "to account for the three missing passengers," Balilo said.

Typhoon Luis made landfall Sunday afternoon in the Cagayan-Isabela area.

Not all passengers in manifesto

Balilo also confirmed reports that some two dozen people on board the vessel were not listed in the manifesto, adding that they will let the management of the vessel explain why drivers and conductors of buses on board were not on the list.

He said a corrected entry from the ship's captain showed that a total of 116 passengers were in the vessel, with the figures coming from personnel's survey with the crew and passengers who had relatives onboard.

[READ: NDRRMC releases initial list of passengers rescued from MV Maharlika 2]

"Totoo po 'yon. 86 lang 'yung nakalagay sa manifesto, including passengers, crew, at ang lumalabas po, 116 [ang lahat ng nasa vessel] base po sa corrected entry na ibinigay ng kapitan. Initially ho, sabi ng kapitan, 'yung drivers nu'ng bus at mga pahinante ay hindi isinama sa mga pasahero na nakalista," he said.

Balilo added that as per their regulation, all passengers must be accounted for in the manifesto, "may bayad man 'yan o libre." –Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News