The damaged MV St. Braquiel of 2Go Shipping is docked on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017, at the Mactan Shipyard after it collided with San Miguel Corp. Barge No. 8 along the Mactan Channel past 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Supercat says vessel ran at 6 knots
An official of Supercat Fast Ferry Corporation has said that their vessel, MV St. Braquiel, which figured in a sea mishap along Mactan Channel last Saturday, was traveling at a “safe speed” of six knots when it collided with SMC Barge No.8 of San Miguel Corporation.
“It was a safe speed. Actually if it’s five knots, vessel’s engine might stop or (be) idle,” Supercat general manager Angelito Salvio told reporters on Monday.
But while Salvio considers the speed “safe,” this is beyond the five knots speed limit for vessels entering Mactan Channel imposed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) under a memorandum circular covering the harbor speed for the Port of Cebu.
The memorandum circular, issued on August 1, 1998 under Republic Act 5173 or the Philippine Coast Guard Law, mandates the “strict observance” of the prescribed harbor speed of five knots while inside the Port of Cebu with reference points: Light Station Bantolinao at the north entrance and between Shell and Cauit Island at the South Entrance up to the docking area.
On Sunday, authorities said that they were still trying to determine if any of the two vessels went beyond the 5 knots when they collided at past 10 p.m., Saturday.
Initial investigation later revealed that the SMC barge was traveling at 2.8 knots when the incident happened.
Sought for comment on Monday, Dionlett Ampil, commander of PCG Cebu Station told reporters that while the memorandum was for a 5 knots speed limit, “We still have to discuss about it. There is no specific definition at the memorandum. Sometimes at five knots, pwedeng mapadpad ang vessel( the vessel might drift),” Ampil said.
MV St. Braquiel, which came from Ormoc City, was heading towards the port in Cebu City when it hit the SMC barge that was being towed by tugboat, Philmarine Service Corp. Matatag. Ninety passengers were on board with 25 persons, including the vessel’s skipper, Reniero Maurin, needing to be hospitalized.
Maurin, in a marine protest submitted before the PCG, said that as the vessel was along Bantolinao Lt., he gradually reduced speed as they entered the port of Cebu as part of “operational procedure”.
According to the skipper, as the Supercat vessel approached the Mactan-Mandaue bridge, it further reduced its speed. A lookout then sighted a vessel which was not exhibiting her astern light, said Maurin.
Maurin claimed that he immediately stopped the ship and applied “evasive maneuver” but the vessel still hit the port side aft of the barge.
Contacted by Cebu Daily News, SMC refused to issue a statement on the matter pending results of the PCG investigation.
Meantime, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA-7) suspended the passenger ship safety certificate of MV St. Braquiel and the cargo safety certificates of SMC Barge No. 8 and Philmarine Service Corp (PSC) Matatag.
MARINA-7 Director Nannette Villamor Dinopol said that the suspension will be lifted only after a “satisfactory result” of a MARINA evaluation on the vessels.
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