PCG files raps vs MV June Aster skipper

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) filed a complaint against Captain Roel Sarmiento for alleged falsification of a public document in connection with the Sept. 9 fire that gutted the MV June Aster while 128 passengers and crew members were aboard off the waters of Coron, Palawan.

“The first criminal complaint filed by the PCG [with the Department of Justice] is for falsification of a public document under Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code against the captain,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab told the Inquirer in a telephone interview on Monday.

Cayabyab said Sarmiento was found liable for discrepancies in the Master’s Declaration of Safe Departure (MDSD), which he signed and submitted to the boarding team before the vessel left port. The MDSD contains the vessel’s passenger and crew manifest, she said.

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The finding was based on preliminary hearings conducted as part of the maritime safety and maritime crime investigations, Cayabyab said.

“Initially, we had a figure of 134 MV June Aster occupants, but as the operation progressed, the tally dropped to 128. This means six passengers listed in the ticket manifest did not board the vessel. That is what we are looking into—the six passengers listed in the initial manifest who did not board,” she said in Filipino.

Some passengers reportedly failed to arrive before the vessel left Baseco Port on the evening of Sept. 9. One passenger listed in the manifest decided not to board after discovering that the ticket he bought was for a different destination, while another opted to take a plane to Coron.

Cayabyab said the MDSD signed by Sarmiento declares that the vessel complied with safety regulations, had the correct number of passengers and crew members, and had the proper placement of cargo.

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Criminal case

She said the PCG was still building a possible criminal case in connection with the fire and was awaiting the results of the forensic investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

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“As to the cause of the incident, that’s the first question we need answered. It is a joint determination. So we are still waiting for the findings of the Bureau of Fire as the appropriate agency to determine the cause of the fire,” Cayabyab said.

The PCG, BFP and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) are conducting separate investigations but will collaborate on a joint determination of the fire’s cause, with the BFP as the lead agency, she said. Earlier, Marina attributed the fire that struck the motor vessel June Aster to flammable cargo, adding that it had completed its investigation into the Sept. 9 incident in the waters off Coron, Palawan.

Cayabyab said the PCG was coordinating with an accredited salvage company while assessing the vessel’s structural integrity before it is towed to Bataan for safekeeping.

“Because the MV June Aster is material evidence for filing appropriate charges, we will maintain this vessel until the completion of this investigation and the proper filing of appropriate charges,” she said.

The Coast Guard was also continuing its daily search and rescue operations for the eight passengers who remained missing, Cayabyab said.