MANILA, Philippines—Officials of Sulpicio Lines told a marine inquiry Wednesday that “an act of God”—not engine failure—sank the MV Princess of the Stars during a raging typhoon.

The Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) looking into Saturday’s disaster off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province found that Sulpicio Lines, which owned the doomed vessel, was unaware of the guidelines to be followed during stormy weather that were updated in June 2007.

The new set of rules put the movement of vessels during Storm Signal No. 1—winds of from 30 to 60 kilometers per hour—the responsibility of ship owners.

Sulpicio Lines lawyer Arthur Lim read during the hearing the shipping company’s Manila Port Capt. Benjamin Eugenio’s report, called “marine protest,” filed with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

‘Loss of good ship’

“I am taking the initiative of filing this marine protest to report the unfortunate tragedy that befell MV Princess of the Stars and to publicly and solemnly protest against the wind and waves and the fortuitous event or act of God, particularly Typhoon ‘Frank,’ that was the cause of the frustration of the voyage and the loss of our good ship,” Eugenio’s report said.

Eugenio said the 23,800-ton vessel was structurally sound and stable when it left Manila on Friday at 8 p.m.

On Saturday morning, he said the ship was in the vicinity of Romblon when Sulpicio Lines lost contact with it, and that he believed the captain had difficulty communicating because of bad weather.

Eugenio said Sulpicio Lines was only able to confirm the next day that the vessel had sunk.

New circular

During the hearing, Lim also pointed to the 1998 PCG circular stating that it was the duty of the Coast Guard district commanders to plot the prevailing weather condition and forecast, and to disseminate the information to shipping agencies.

But BMI chair Rear Adm. Ramon Liwag said this circular had been revised since June 27, 2007, and that the movement of any vessel was now left to the decision and responsibility of its owner when Signal No. 1 is up at the point of origin, route and destination.

The 2007 circular further states that no vessel will be allowed to sail when Signal No. 3 or 4 is raised in its point of origin, route and destination.

Liwag also pointed out that Signal No. 3 was raised in Masbate province, which was on the route of the MV Princess of the Stars.

Sulpicio Lines senior first vice president Edgar Go said he was not aware of the revision of the circular in 2007, and Lim said that issuance should have been disseminated. Lim also said he would still have to check the weather forecast for June 20.

Ship listing heavily

Under questioning, Go narrated that when the vessel left Manila, the sea condition was “slight.”

But at 6 a.m. the following day, Sulpicio Lines got a report from the ship’s skipper, Capt. Florencio Marimon, that the sea was “moderate to rough.”

At 11:30 a.m., the Sulpicio Lines office in Cebu got another call from Marimon saying that the “ship was listing heavily to port [left] side. He could hardly maneuver the ship.” The line was cut off after this message was relayed.

Asked if there was any engine trouble, Go replied that the “engine was running well.”

Rear Adm. Benjamin Mata, the BMI vice chair, then asked if he had any idea why a report was sent to the PCG that the ship was experiencing engine trouble. Go said it could have been done after the captain sent the message that the ship could not maneuver and did not have power.

Typhoon was ‘far away’

Go was also grilled about the preparations done by Sulpicio Lines officials prior to a ship’s departure, especially the checking of the weather and the plotting of the route.

According to Go, Sulpicio Lines usually receives the weather report before it departs from Manila, and the company officials study and plot the route to be taken by the vessel.

Asked if Sulpicio Lines was aware the ship’s route was on the path of Typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen), Go replied that “during that time, the typhoon was far away from the pre-plotted track.”

Go said that when company officials learned of the rough seas encountered by the ship, the captain was advised to take extra precaution, as was always the case. He added that he and the port captain closely monitored the weather.

But Mata said the plot of the route made should not only take into account the path of the typhoon, but also its possible deviations.

PCG Manila head axed

“The typhoon does not have a definite track, it has its own mind, it has its own life. Through the years, we’ve found out the predicted path could vary,” he said.

PCG officials said the inquiry was “fact-finding” and that materials gathered could be used for a criminal prosecution if needed.

Also Wednesday, PCG commandant Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo relieved the PCG Manila Station commander, Erwin Balagas, while the inquiry was being conducted. Also relieved was the PCG boarding team in Manila that inspected the ferry before it departed.