PCG shifts to search and retrieval for 14 missing fishermen

July 3, 2020

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shifted to search and retrieval operation for the 14 missing passengers and fishermen of fishing vessel Liberty 5 that capsized off the waters of Occidental Mindoro last Sunday night.

“Theoretically speaking, the search and rescue operations have ended. Today we have already shifted to search and retrieval operations,” Vice Admiral George Ursabia Jr., commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, said in a radio interview on Friday.

Ursabia added that investigation on Hong Kong-registered MV Vienna Wood, which collided with Liberty 5, is finished.

Ursabia said the PCG is building up ''pieces of evidence to file criminal charges against MV Vienna Wood''. The sworn statements of the responding mariners and fishermen will be included here,” he added.

Ursabia said while  MV Vienna Wood did not deploy rescue boats after the collision, he added that the cargo vessel did not commit hit-and-run.

“The MV Vienna Wood is a big ship and the SOP (standard operating procedure) of mariners when there is an accident at sea you need to move away (to a safe distance) to avoid further damage into the capsized vessel,” he said.

Ursabia said after three full days of search and rescue operations, if the PCG  fail to rescue the victims it shifts to search and retrieval.

“Starting today what we are going to do is search and retrieval operations… This is what we are going to do in the next two days. On Sunday we will evaluate if there is a need to extend for two more days. And then eventually, we have to decide to terminate the operations,” he added.

 Ursabia emphasized that the PCG is not ruling out the possibility of finding survivors.

“But we do not lose hope. Miracle is reality. There is still a possibility that they are still alive,” he said. '' We are also open to the possibility that maybe their bodies will be retrieved in the next few days.''

Ursabia said based on their investigation MV Vienna Wood has radar and safety equipment.

“The safety equipment of MV Vienna Wood is in good condition. There two radars are functioning. Actually, they were able to detect from their radar the  F/V Liberty 5 and another fishing vessel. However when they are maneuvering to avoid F/V Liberty 5, it's too late, which causes the collision,” he said.

Ursabia said MV Vienna Wood ''did not commit hit-and-run.'' ''The Vienna Wood did not commit hit-and run. They just moved away to achieve a safe distance and they also notice that there were seven vessels responded to the capsized vessel,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS