With 13 rescued at sea off Liloan, public urged to refrain from patronizing colorum motorbancas

Philippine Coast Guard personnel and a medical team wait for the rescued passengers to disembark from the troubled motorbanca at the Ouano wharf in Mandaue City. | Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7) is reminding the public not to patronize or risk riding on unregistered motorbancas to travel across islands in Cebu.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina, PCG-7 spokesperson, gave this advice after they rescued 13 passengers including the captain and crew of a colorum or unregistered motorbanca that conked out off the waters of Liloan town in northern Cebu at past 2 a.m. of December 29.

Encina said that the motorbanca identified as “J and J Liner” was on its way to Camotes Island in northern Cebu from Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City when the rudder of the motorbanca got detached causing the boat’s engine to conk out.

“Wag sila magtolerate ng colorum banca kasi hindi po yan safe,” said Encina.

(Passengers should not tolerate or patronize unregistered or colorum bancas because they are not safe.)

Encina said the passengers and crew of the motorbanca were unhurt when the PCG-7 tugboat manned by Danao City Coast Guard sub-station personnel arrived.

The motorbanca was then towed to the Ouano wharf in Mandaue City where the medical team and Coast Guard Mandaue City personnel and a medical team awaited to check on the rescued passengers and crew.

The troubled motorbanca is towed to the Ouano wharf in Mandaue City where Philippine Coast Guard Mandaue City personnel and a medical team wait to check on the condition of the passengers and crew. | Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard

In the initial investigation, Encina said that the motorbanca, which departed from Olango Island at 2 p.m. of December 28, got into trouble at past 10 p.m. off the seas of Danao City when the rudder got detached and the engine conked out.

The Coast Guard received the distress signal at past 10 p.m. but it took them quite a while to rescue the troubled motorbanca because of the huge waves and strong wind at that time.

According to Encina, the PCG tugboat reached the motorbanca which drifted and was already at the seas off Liloan town in northern Cebu at 2:45 a.m. of December 29.

Encina said that the most of the passengers of the troubled boat were heading to Camotes for a “pamanhikan” or “pamalaye.”

He said that the motorboat’s captain failed to present documents to show that they were authorized to sail from Olango to Camotes.

“Yun pong byahe na Olango to Camotes ang layo nyan hindi po conducive for motorized banca,” said Encina.

(Getting from Olango to Camotes is quite far and is not conducive for motorized bancas.)

He said that Felmon Sulit, J and J Liner captain, and Roger Quijano, motorbanca’s owner, were asked to present a certificate of registration from their municipality on December 30 at the PCG headquarters in Cebu City.

Encina said that if the motorbanca owner would also be facing a violation for sailing without the PCG-clearance and proper permits.

The motorbanca was being held at the Ouano wharf while the motorbanca owner was settling the case with PCG-7./dbs