PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, PALAWAN, Philippines — Almost a month after MV Sta. Monica A1 went missing with its 10-member crew, the ongoing search still has not found any trace of the vessel, except for a few pieces of debris that were recovered in the waters off Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.
During the Tuesday session of the Palawan provincial board, Dennis Rem Labay, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) district commander in Palawan, said their Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) was still investigating the incident.
MV Sta. Monica A1 sailed from northern town of Taytay in Palawan on Oct. 22, but the clearance given by the Coast Guard Substation Northern Palawan (CGSSNP) was for it to only take shelter on Casian Island, which is 16 nautical miles (30 kilometers) from the port, due to poor weather conditions brought by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami).
READ: Cargo ship with 10 crewmen missing since Kristine hit
Labay said that based on the predeparture inspection conducted by the CGSSNP, the vessel was no longer allowed to sail to its intended destination because the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration had already raised wind signal number 1 over Metro Manila.
The vessel left Taytay port with 10 crew members aboard and carrying 94 empty large tanks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 300 pieces of 11-kilogram LPG tanks, 100 empty drums, 113 carabaos and 22 boxes of live fish.
After sailing to Casian, the vessel reportedly pushed on with its initial course to Manila.
Dead carabaos
The owner lost contact with the vessel and reported it to the PCG on Oct. 27.
The PCG then launched a search and rescue operation and found debris that included life vests and rings suspected to be from the vessel and dead carabaos afloat near Paluan.
Labay added that while the clearance to sail comes from the PCG, the safety of any vessel lies primarily on its owner and the captain, being the highest in command of the vessel.
“It is expressly understood that the safety and security of the vessel is the responsibility of the captain and the shipowner. That’s what happened because no mariner in his right mind will continue to sail if there is a typhoon coming. Even the Coast Guard ships during those kinds of weather take shelter,” he said.
“Once the Coast Guard tells you to take shelter, [it is] now understood that you only take shelter [and] the best way to shelter a ship is to anchor away from the storm,” he added.
Aerial search
Labay said that the MSSC was also conducting a maritime casualty investigation but clarified that it did not pertain to deaths or injuries and was only “like a maritime incident investigation.”
Labay also said that the PCG had shifted its operation from search and rescue to search and retrieval on Nov. 4.
“In fact, the vessels that we sent were already diverted to the conduct of relief operations in Bicol [region] and Batanes [province]. We are only sending an airplane now to conduct aerial search in the area where the vessel is suspected to be lost,” he said.
Labay said that after 20 days, the PCG would also terminate the search and retrieval operation.
Follow-up efforts after the search and retrieval operation is stopped will now be the responsibility of “units in the coastal areas and through reports that they might get from other passing vessels or from fishermen,” he said.