The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the identities of the Filipino captain and deputy officer who rode in a Norwegian cargo vessel that sank off the waters of Vietnam last Friday, Jan. 2.
Asst. Secretary Charles Jose identified the two fatalities as 45-year-old Capt. Ronel Andrin, of Quezon province and 3rd officer Jerome Dinoy of Cordova town, Cebu.
Vietnamese state media said their remains were brought to the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau last Sunday.
Their ship, the Bulk Jupiter, sank with 19 Filipino crew members en route from Malaysia to China.
Vietnamese rescuers aided by commercial ships passing through the area continued to search for the 16 missing Filipino crewmen.
The ship’s chief cook, Angelito Capindo Rojas, is the only known survivor.
Rojas told officials that he had no idea what happened with the ship.
“I don’t understand why the ship had the accident and sank,” he was quoted as saying.
“I just knew that the ship, which was on its way, suddenly tilted. I just had time to put on a life vest and jump into the sea,” Rojas added.
In Cordova town, Dinoy’s parents yesterday waited anxiously to hear confirmation of his death from the manning agency amid online reports about his death.
“He’s a bright boy. He knows what to do. I want to believe he is still alive,” said Jerome’s 42-year-old mother Joydie.
The eldest of five sons, the 23-year-old Jerome graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu-Mandaue (UCLM).
Romulo Dinoy said his son planned to buy a piece of land behind the family’s house as his gift to him for his 59th birthday.
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