After failing to find survivors in a Christmas Eve sea tragedy off Cavite province, the Navy and Coast Guard have begun to shift efforts from search-and-rescue to search-and-retrieval.
Lubang folk spend tearful Xmas after sea tragedy
People’s cheers have been replaced by tears for those who had either perished or disappeared during an early morning sea tragedy the day before the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s birth. “Marami pang mga taga-Lubang na hindi pa nare-rescue. Marami pang mga tao sa lugar namin na nag-iiyakan (There are still many from Lubang who have not been rescued. Many people in our place are crying)," says Mariejoy Insigne, cousin of Bert Tamares who went missing after a wooden motor banca bound for Lubang collided with a fishing boat off Limbones Island in Cavite province on Thursday. Suddenly, news becomes more appetizing than Christmas dishes for Lubang residents.
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Yung ating ginagawa search-and-rescue ang initial. Subali't sa ngayon medyo masakit sa kalooban, considering the fact ilang araw lumiliit ang chance na makakita tayo ng pasahero, we are now on more or less search and retrieval ," Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said in an interview on dzRH radio. (We started out with search-and-rescue operations but it has been days since the incident, and the chances of finding survivors are getting smaller. It hurts to say this, but we are now in search-and-retrieval mode.) Still, he said that search efforts early Saturday were extended well beyond the scene of the incident in the hope of finding survivors.
Search area extended According to Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, the extensive air and sea search covered an area up to 30 nautical miles from the site of the incident. He said that six ships, including three each from the Coast Guard and Navy, and Coast Guard aircraft, found only debris in the area around the site. “We have to really explore another possibility, deep-sea diving," he said. Tamayo added that their only hope now is that fishermen or residents of nearby islands may have spotted and taken in some survivors. “
Search, rescue and retrieval na tayo ... baka kasi may napadpad (Our operations now involve search, rescue and retrieval ... there remains the chance of survivors who reached nearby islands)," Tamayo said in an interview on dzBB radio.
Investigation delayed till early 2010 Tamayo admitted the investigation into the tragedy may not start until January 2010 as the Special Board of Marine Inquiry is still being formed, to be headed by Coast Guard Metro Manila head Commodore Luis Tuason Jr. “Siguro first week ng January. May organizational meeting muna sila bago mag Bagong Taon (It will start its investigation in the first week of January. It may have to hold organizational meetings before the New Year)," Tamayo said. He said the inquiry will focus on whether or not the crews of both ships followed maritime rules, although initial findings showed that the Catalyn-B had right-of-way at the time of the incident. Tamayo also said the inquiry will look into complaints by some of the survivors the Catalyn-B’s crew had not looked after them during the incident.
View Catalyn B - Natalya collision map in a larger map Two dozen remain missing Authorities have so far retrieved three bodies from the waters off Limbones Island in Cavite province, where the wooden-hulled passenger ship Catalyn-B collided with fishing vessel Anatalya. Some 24 people remain missing from the tragedy, while 46 had been rescued. The incident occurred before dawn last Thursday. On the other hand, President Arroyo ordered the grounding of the fleets of the owners of both vessels involved in the incident.
- JHU/TJD, GMANews.TV 
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