PCG: Shipping company may face liability over deadly MV June Aster fire

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said a shipping company could potentially face liability over the deadly fire that engulfed the MV June Aster passenger ferry off Coron, Palawan on Wednesday night.

At a press conference, PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said authorities would determine whether there was any negligence or improper action by the crew before, during, or after the incident.

“Considering the number of casualties and the number of missing, may possibility na may liability po sila. Pero again, as to the degree of the liability, we will be determining after the conduct of the investigation,” she said.

(Considering the number of casualties and the number of missing, there is a possibility that they have liability. But again, as to the degree of the liability, we will be determining after the conduct of the investigation.)

Authorities said they will look into the actions taken by the crew after they received information about the fire, whether proper procedures were followed, and how the ship's captain responded to the emergency.

As of the latest PCG update, there were 43 survivors and five fatalities, while 86 people were considered possibly missing based on the vessel's manifest.

The figures were still subject to validation as search-and-rescue operations continued, Cayabyab said.

A representative of the Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc. the company will provide burial and transportation assistance to the victims.

A survivor said the fire started in the cargo hold and spread rapidly within seconds.

Cayabyab said the MV June Aster underwent a pre-departure inspection before leaving Manila and had also passed a Vessel Safety Enforcement Inspection in March 2026 based on documents.

“Based po doon sa inspection na yun ay naging compliant naman po itong barko,” she said.

(Based on that inspection, this ship was found to be compliant.)

The vessel, built in 2002, has a certified capacity of 333 people including 306 passengers and 27 crew.

Authorities, however, have not ruled out the possibility of overloading. The manifest listed 117 passengers and 17 crew. These figures still needed to be validated, according to the PCG.

The PCG also said some of the rescued passengers were not wearing life jackets.

Cayabyab said a sudden explosion and rapid spread of the fire may have prompted some passengers to immediately jump into the water.

So far, authorities reported five fatalities and 43 survivors, while 86 people remain potentially missing.

GMA News Online is attempting to contact the shipping company for comment. —RF, GMA News