Toll in Cagayan sea tragedy: 27 dead, 28 remain missing

(Updated 3:28 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines – The number of fatalities in the sea tragedy off Cagayan province in northern Philippines has risen to 27 on Tuesday, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said. In an interview on dzBB, PCG Aparri station commander Lieutenant Commander Ferdinand Panganiban said four more bodies were recovered early Tuesday morning, bringing the number of fatalities to 27. "(At) 7 (a.m.) kanina naka-retrieve kami ng apat na additional na cadavers. Tatlo babae, isang lalaki so bale, 27 na lahat (At 7 a.m. this morning, we retrieved four more bodies. Three were female, and one was male. This brings the death toll to 27)," Panganiban said. Panganiban added that 28 remain missing while 45 have survived the capsizing of cargo passenger vessel M/B Maejan. But citing reports from the Ballesteros, Cagayan police, an Associated Press report and GMA 7’s Flash Report said the number of missing passengers is 29. Panganiban identified one of the four recovered bodies as that of Rhea Cangas. He added that authorities have yet to identify the three other bodies. He said the fatalities were found on the shoreline of Camaritan village in Ballesteros town. The wooden-hulled M/B Maejan left the Calayan port Sunday morning “but failed to enter the port of Aparri due to big waves and strong current until it was dragged and capsized more or less 50 meters from the shoreline of Pallog village" in Ballesteros town, a PCG statement said earlier. In the radio interview, Panganiban said it was apparent that the seacraft was overloaded. PCG officials earlier noted the motor banca was authorized to carry only 40 passengers and 10 crewmen. "Umaabot ng isang daan (ang pasahero). Fifty lang po ang authorized (The number of its passengers totaled 100. But it was only authorized to carry 50)," Panganiban said. He said that even if the PCG does not have a unit at the Calayan port, it has one in Aparri that would check “if vessels comply with the Coast Guard’s regulations." "Wala po kasing Coast Guard unit doon. Umalis po ang Meajan doon na walang nag-check. Although wala kaming unit sa Calayan, sinasalubong namin dito sa port of Aparri to see to it na nagcocomply sa regulations (The PCG does not have a unit in Calayan, so the vessel left the port without being checked. But even if that is the case, we make it a point to meet them here at the port in Aparri to check whether they comply with our regulations)," Panganiban said. Overloaded? The PCG had earlier said the vessel may have been overloaded at the time it capsized. The agency has likewise formed a special board of marine inquiry (SBMI) panel to look into “the circumstances surrounding the incident." Radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo earlier reported that PCG commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said he expects the special board of marine inquiry (SBMI) panel looking into the incident to finish its probe within 30 days. He added that a special team, led by PCG’s North Luzon district head Captain Athelo Ybañez, will start its investigation on Friday, December 19. In a related development, the PCG released a statement about 11 a.m., saying it is also determining the liability of the vessel’s owner and captain in the incident. The owner, Amy Arellano, was earlier reported to be one of the fatalities. The captain, Dami Tan, however, is currently under the custody of his brother, Vincent Tan, one of Calayan town’s municipal councilor. The statement said Dami Tan will be presented to the PCG on Wednesday. The statement likewise said the SBMI will be convened in Aparri “to ensure the availability of witnesses and respondents in order to expedite the hearings of the case." "The investigation will look into all the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine the cause(s) of the accident, the liability of the owner/boat captain and to submit recommendations in order to prevent recurrence of similar actions in the future," the statement read. - GMANews.TV