Saturday, November 03, 2007 2 from capsized banca remain missing
TWO passengers were still missing from the boat that sank off Barangay Kawit in the municipality of Pilar, Camotes Island, Cebu as of yesterday afternoon.
Pilar Mayor Jesus Fernandez Jr. said in a phone interview that heavy rains and strong winds caused the boat to capsize last Wednesday night.
The boat may have also been caught in a whirlpool as it was about to dock, although there is no evidence to back this up.
Edgar de la Cruz and 10-year-old Warly Godinez Jr. have yet to be found.
De la Cruz’s 10-month-old son, Warly’s mother Liza Cabillo Godinez, 30, and Eleonor Omolon Tecling perished in the rough seas.
There were 13 passengers and 16 crewmembers of mb Anton II, which was built to hold 200 passengers.
Most of the passengers were going home to Pilar to visit the graves of their relatives on All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
Since the seas in Camotes Island and off San Carlos City, Negros Occidental can get rough during the monsoon season, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said boat operators must make sure that their vessels can withstand huge waves.
PCG-Viscom duty officers PO3 Arnulfo Gesultura and SNI Melchor Iñigo said they are still conducting search and rescue operations for Godinez and dela Cruz.
In another sea mishap, a fastcraft plying the Toledo City-San Carlos City route ran aground last Thursday.
But Commodore Edmund Tan, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Visayas Command, said that all the nine crewmembers and 47 passengers of Fastcraft Aznar, owned by Cebu Trident Navigation Inc. and E.B. Aznar Shipping Corp., were rescued.
The passengers, who were transferred to vessels mb California and mb Joan, were taken to the Coast Guard detachment in San Carlos City.
They lost all their belongings.
An initial report received by the PCG-Viscom said the incident happened at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, one mile northwest of Sipalay Island, San Carlos City.
Human error may have caused the craft to run aground, as boat captain Julito Cortijos reportedly miscalculated how shallow the area was. Bad weather compounded the problems, as it caused strong winds and big waves.
Engineer Mardon Martin of the Marina said they will summon the owners of mb Anton II and Fastcraft Aznar to determine who ought to be held liable for the accidents.
The Pilar Municipal Government, meanwhile, gave P2,000 each to the victims as well as food and clothing.
Mayor Fernandez said they will pay for the burial of the three casualties.
He also heard from the Cebu Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, through social worker Maricris Garces, that the Capitol will give financial assistance as well.
The mayor believes the survivors will need psychiatric help to deal with the trauma.
Fernandez said, though, that they could not blame anybody for the tragedy even if the Coast Guard cleared the boat to travel.
He could only blame it on the weather.
“During the ‘ber’ months, the weather becomes unpredictable,” said Fernandez.
He also explained that Barangay Kawit can be a danger zone when the weather is bad since two currents meet in the area. JGA/EOB)
