Six officials of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority have been relieved from their posts following the sinking of three ferries on Saturday in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait, incidents that resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people.
The suspension was announced yesterday by Department of Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade as he visited Jordan town in Guimaras to meet with the families of the victims.
“I want [the officials] immediately relieved from their posts so we can give way to a more thorough and impartial investigation,” Tugade told GMA News. “If they are found negligent, we will make sure that necessary criminal charges will be filed against them.”
Among those relieved were PCG station commanders Perlita Cinco and Joe Luviz Mercurio, and Marina Western Visayas director Rizal Victoria.
As of last night, 31 passengers have been confirmed dead, according to The Philippine Daily Inquirer. The victims died when three ferries sunk on Saturday due to inclement weather brought by the southwest monsoon.
The first two boats, the Chi-Chi and the Keziah, capsized a bit after 12 noon while they were on their way to Jordan after departing from Iloilo City.
Despite those two sinkings, another boat, the Jenny Vince, was allowed to sail a few hours later and capsized at about 3:30pm as it traveled to Iloilo City from the town of Buenavista in Guimaras. None of the boats were believed to have been overloaded
Guimaras Vice Governor John Edward Gando said that five passengers remain missing, according to CNN Philippines.
Meanwhile, Tugade promised to help the families of the victims by providing them jobs at the Marina, PCG, and the Philippine Ports Authority, reported ABS-CBN News.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippines, where people travel from one part of the archipelago to another in old motorboats that are routinely overloaded with passengers. Such accidents typically occur during the typhoon season in the middle of the year.
