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Monday, November 27, 2006
Surigao guv seeks inquiry on ferry sinking
By Ben Serrano
Caraga Correspondent
SURIGAO CITY -- Surigao del Norte Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers said he may call an investigation into the worst sea tragedy that hit the province this year with the sinking of m/v Leonida II Saturday in the vicinity of the Bilisan point off Hinatuan island.
Around 15 passengers were said to have perished in the tragedy with 66 already rescued and 17 others missing, which include a town mayor and a town councilor.
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Rescuers continue to scour the vicinity of Bilisan Point where the motor launch with 155-passenger capacity and 42-gross tonnage sank past 2 p.m. last Saturday.
The open deck wooden motor launch is one of the three passenger vessels plying the Surigao City-Siargao Island sea route and is reportedly owned by couple Domingo and Leonida Paredes of Del Carmen town.
Barbers, who heads the command center of the search and rescue operations at the Surigao del Norte Provincial Gym, said many questions surround the incident. Among those is why there were only 47 passengers listed on the official manifest.
Barbers also said he will look into the culpabilities of government agencies like the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Coast Guard, and others tasked to look after the safety of seafaring passengers.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro tried to reach Coast Guard Commander Gonzalo Magno through his mobile phone and the heads of the local office of Marina but to no avail.
Surigao City Mayor Alfonso Casurra said their priority now is the search for survivors.
Casurra said while it is up to local government units to conduct their own investigation, "the duty in conducting the probe lies in the hands of the Board of Marine Inquiry."
Survivors' accounts claimed m/v Leonida II left the port of Surigao City past noon Saturday for Port of Numancia, Del Carmen town.
They claimed the boat was loaded with 300 bags of cement aside from several sacks of rice, other personal belongings and valuable items, and an undetermined number of cases of soft drinks and other cargoes.
Survivors said that because it was overloaded the boat sank within several seconds after huge waves hit it.
The boat captain of the ill-fated m/v Leonida II, Ruel Del Rosario, and its nine crewmembers were among the 66 survivors. Del Rosario is now at the custody of his lawyer.
Barbers said aside from looking at the culpabilities of the crew and the captain, they will also look into the liabilities of the owners of the ferry. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (November 27, 2006 issue)
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