Kin of missing ferry passengers ready for worst: ‘We just want confirmation’

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines — Rossana Caabay-Indic died while being taken to Manila for medical treatment. Her remains were aboard the ill-fated MV June Aster with her husband, Benjamin Indic, and their youngest daughter, Joanna, 28, who is pregnant.

According to Rossana’s brother, Ruel Caabay, the family had earlier been waiting for confirmation that her remains were still inside the vessel.

Benjamin has since been rescued and is recovering at Coron District Hospital, Caabay said, while another relative is being treated at a hospital in Culion.

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“I’m at peace with what happened to my sister because, of course, if those who were alive were still inside, then even more so my sister, who was already dead, would certainly still be there,” Caabay said.

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For Caabay and his family, confirmation is now the priority as they await word on their relatives, including Joanna, who were aboard the vessel.

Search-and-recovery operations continued Sunday as authorities worked to locate, identify, and bring home those who died in the disaster.

READ: Philippine ferry fire death toll climbs to 76

Casket recovered

The Philippine Coast Guard said search teams recovered a casket containing human remains believed to be those of Caabay’s sister, as well as the remains of a dog from the gutted vessel.

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On Sunday morning, the BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) was set to bring the recovered remains back to shore, marking a shift from the frantic search for survivors to the painstaking recovery and identification of those who perished.

The vessel was about 1.2 nautical miles (2.2 kilometers) off Barangay Marcilla when an explosion in the cargo hold triggered a fire that rapidly swept through the ship.

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Forty-three people managed to escape into the dark waters, but the blaze moved so quickly that passengers had little time to follow normal emergency procedures. Survivors described scenes of panic, thick smoke, and blocked passageways as they scrambled to escape the burning vessel.

Of the 134 people initially listed on the manifest, authorities have accounted for 43 survivors and 76 confirmed deaths, while 13 people remain unaccounted for.

Verification checks also showed that two ticketed passengers had not actually boarded the vessel.

Bodies brought ashore

The 41 bodies recovered from the wreckage on Saturday were brought to Borac Port in Coron on Sunday for forensic examination and identification. They were in addition to the 30 bodies recovered a day earlier and the five remains retrieved shortly after the fire, bringing the total number of recovered bodies to 76.

Lt. Col. Richard Allan Mangalip, commander of the PNP Regional Forensic Unit Mimaropa, said forensic teams had begun collecting specimen samples from the remains for DNA testing and comparison with samples from relatives to help establish the victims’ identities.

Mangalip said retrieving the remaining bodies from the vessel remained the biggest challenge for authorities because of the ship’s condition and the number of victims who may still be inside.

“The main challenge for today is the retrieval of all the cadavers because of the numbers. We do not know how many cadavers are still yet to be recovered,” Mangalip said at a press conference on Sunday.

He said some victims were found close to one another, appearing to have been embracing, while others were scattered in different areas of the vessel.

“I cannot yet give an indication or prediction as to what happened during the incident, but initially, it appears there was panic,” Mangalip said.

READ: Grim task begins as authorities identify ferry fire victims

Cargo deck still flooded

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commo. Noemi Cayabyab said search and rescue teams had yet to enter some portions of the vessel because parts of the cargo deck remained flooded.

“As of Saturday, the cargo deck was still somewhat flooded. That is what we are waiting for, while assessment and possible retrieval of any remains that may still be found continue,” she said.

Cayabyab said the immediate focus remained on recovering additional remains, while safety and maritime crime investigations were also underway.

“Our focus remains on retrieving any remains that may still be recovered. The safety and maritime crime investigations are ongoing, so all possible evidence from the vessel will be collected. But definitely, possible salvage would be the next step,” she added.

Four days after the incident, Cayabyab said the Coast Guard was still treating the operation as a search and rescue mission, with 13 people remaining missing.

The search area has also been expanded to other provinces in Southern Tagalog.

“We expanded our search and rescue. We are still on search-and-rescue operations. We still have a number of missing. We use a science-based approach. We extended up to Southern Tagalog,” Cayabyab said.

She said authorities conducted an aerial search on Saturday based on possible drift areas identified through the search-and-rescue optimization planning system.

“We also continuously conduct our radio broadcast to all vessels plying within the area to be more vigilant and to be on the lookout if they see some suspicious or any floating objects,” she said.

The Coast Guard has increased its presence in Coron, deploying nine vessels, three helicopters, and 144 personnel to support the search, recovery, and investigation.

Captain still missing

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the vessel’s captain, Roel Sarmiento, remained unknown. Sarmiento had earlier been reported as among the survivors, but his name did not appear on the official list of rescued passengers and crew.

Dindo Macalinao, a representative of Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., said the company also had no information on the captain’s whereabouts.

“Actually, just as you want to know, we also want, on behalf of management, for the captain to show up. So right now, as far as his whereabouts are concerned, I myself have no information,” Macalinao said during the press conference.

He said the company was cooperating with government authorities in the investigation and was providing assistance to survivors and the families of the victims.

“I have no right words to express to the affected families, but the company is doing its best to work with government authorities to provide what is due to them and to ensure justice,” Macalinao said.

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According to Cayabyab, the Coast Guard was continuing to verify reports concerning Sarmiento as authorities worked to account for all passengers and crew members aboard the vessel. /atm