Coast Guard probes 'shortcut' by ship that nearly sank off Guimaras

(UPDATED 5:30 p.m.) - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it is probing claims that the passenger ship that nearly sank off Guimaras took a shortcut on its way to Iloilo last Saturday.

The Coast Guard Western Visayas is checking if the MV Saint Gregory the Great was authorized to take such a shortcut, radio dzBB's Melanie Ferrer reported on Tuesday.

Coast Guard officials in Western Visayas said ships heading from Bacolod to Iloilo - as in the case of the 2GO Travel-owned ship - should have gone around Guimaras where the waters are shallow.

In the case of the MV Saint Gregory the Great, it passed through Siete Pecados off the coast of Guimaras when its hull hit what investigators believe to be submerged rocks.

The hit caused eight holes in the hull, and allowed water to  flood the affected parts of the ship, including the engine room.

However, the ship managed to make it to Iloilo and have the passengers disembark.

For now, the Coast Guard will recommend that ships be allowed pass through the Siete Pecados area during high tide and at daytime, to prevent a repeat of Saturday's incident.

Stayed on course

For their part, 2GO Travel issued a statement following the incident, asserting that the M/V St. Gregory the Great took a path often traveled by domestic ships.

“A portion of the underwater starboard hull sustained long scratches and small punctures while traversing the narrow channel along Iloilo Strait; which is often the route of domestic ships guided by navigational charts which are pre-plotted using the official National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) chart,” the statement said.

The shipping company also referred to the incident as “minor,” noting that the ship did not nearly capsize.

“The ship remained afloat after it encountered a minor incident 45 minutes before safely docking at the Port of Iloilo.  Moreover, there were no incidences of passenger panic on-board the vessel,” said the statement.

Grounded

In the meantime, the MV Saint Gregory the Great will remain grounded until all the eight holes in its hull are patched, Iloilo-based The Daily Guardian news site reported.

The Coast Guard said over 400 passengers and crewmembers were aboard the vessel when the incident occurred last Saturday.

It added that the ship was heading from Bacolod to Cagayan de Oro via Iloilo.
- with a report from Patricia Denise Chiu, VVP, GMA News