Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — Authorities on Friday said complaints will be filed against the captain and operator of the passenger motorboat that capsized in Binangonan, Rizal, leaving 26 people dead and possibly more.
“Definitely we are going to file a complaint together with the PNP (Philippine National Police) against the captain and the operator of the motorboat,” Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
He said in a public briefing that investigation is already ongoing, and the probe will also look into actions of the PCG personnel in the area.
Search, rescue, and retrieval operations are ongoing after Aya Express sank on Thursday, Balilo said.
The boat left Binangonan at around 12:30 p.m. en route to Barangay Gulod, Talim Island. However, strong winds caused panic among passengers who leaned to the port side of the boat, causing it to capsize.
It sank in muddy water around 50 yards (45 meters) from Barangay Kalinawan in Binangonan.
The incident happened the same day Typhoon Egay exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
With the exit of the typhoon and the lifting of all storm signals, Balilo said it is part of their protocols to give clearance to sail to all motorboats and seacraft, including those in Binangonan.
Aside from the fatalities, the PCG also said 40 passengers were rescued. The survivors were sent home after receiving medical treatment, Balilo said.
Meanwhile, the number of missing has not yet been determined since the captain himself cannot also give a clear picture of how many were onboard, Balilo noted.
The PCG spokesman said there were surely excess passengers onboard since authorities have so far accounted for 66 people, far from the boat’ s maximum capacity of 42 and the declared number of passengers of 22.
Aside from the number of passengers, Balilo said authorities are also investigating if all those onboard wore a life jacket which is mandatory.
According to M/B Aya Express boatman Donald Añain, his fellow boat personnel allowed more passengers to ride while he was submitting the manifesto to the PCG. However, he was mum when asked about the wearing of life jackets and the number of people inside the boat.
Añain also apologized to the families of the victims.
Balilo said the incident is isolated, but is sometimes unavoidable due to unforeseen changes in the situation on the ground.
The Maritime Industry Authority has suspended the safety certificate of the passenger boat. It said it will conduct a marine safety investigation once the search and rescue operation is completed.
