Injured seaman who lost foot: I’ll find a way to earn a living

Rudyard Payusan is recuperating at St. Vincent Hospital. / CDN Photo Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

No regrets for rescue, says chief mate; banca crew released without charges

After losing his right foot trying to rescue passengers of a capsized motorbanca, chief mate Rudyard Payusan is uncertain about his future.

But Payusan, 48, vowed to find a way to continue sending two of his three children to college.

“Pangitaan nako gihapon og paagi nga maka-income ko aron makapadayon og skwela akong mga anak (I will find a way to earn so that I could continue sending my children to school),” he said in a broken voice.

Payusan was sitting on his hospital bed at St. Vincent Hospital when Cebu Daily News visited him yesterday. He was up receiving relatives, his bandaged leg dangling by the side of the mattress.

He said his employer, Goldenbridge Shipping, would pay for the hospital bill. For now, that’s all that’s certain.
Nolito Abapo, owner of motorbanca Mansan, visited him the other day and promised to help.

“If he doesn’t (help), that’s on his conscience,” said Payusan, who hasn’t received any financial aid from the owner yet.

Payusan’s wife, who has been working in Kuwait for almost 10 years, learned about his condition on the Internet after news of the rescue at sea and Payusan’s accident trended online.

NO ONE’S FAULT

Payusan, who’s worked at sea for eight years, said he was not blaming anybody for what happened. He said it was an accident.

He was swimming to the capsized banca when his foot got entangled in the rope that he used to tie the banca to his cargo vessel, LCT Golden Crescent.

The force of the waves jerked the rope and his limb snapped.

Doctors later had to amputate his lower leg below the knee.

All 22 passengers and six crew members were eventually rescued by the efforts of crew of the barge and passenger vessel Filipinas Dinagat which passed by Saturday morning.

The banca capsized Friday close to midnight while sailing from Bohol to Pasil in Cebu City amid a gale warning due to the southwest monsoon and typhoon Lando (Koppu).

Coast Guard personnel visited him in the hospital the other day and asked whether he would file a complaint. He declined.

“I pity them. They also have families,” Payusan said, referring to the banca’s crew.

The crew were released from police detention yesterday because neither Payusan nor the passengers of the capsized banca would file a complaint.

Skipper Norbert Aparice and crew members Joshua Mark Abapo, Antonio Cabantogan, Joseph Mark Simacon and Vernie Torion were detained at the Waterfront Police Station after M/B Mansan capsized in rough waters between Cebu and Camotes islands on Friday night.

NO REGRETS

A native of Misamis Oriental, Payusan has three children and one grandchild.

He was aware that his rescue effort was in the news but when CDN said there were several comments online describing him as a hero, he just smiled.

“Hero? Our Lord is the hero and He always comes to our aid,” Payusan said in Cebuano.

He said he did not regret diving into the water to start a rescue.

“If you want to help, then help. I did it voluntarily,” he said.

He said he leaped from his ship as soon as he saw the victims in the water. He said he didn’t want his younger crew members to be placed at risk by the rough waves.

“Naanad naman gud ko sa dagat. Mahadlok sad ko nga naa unyay mahitabo sa uban (I’m used to being at sea. I was worried that something bad would happen to the other crew),” he said.

He recalled doing the same rescue for a group of fishermen lost at sea.

The 22 passengers who endured the cold water for about eight hours on Friday night before they were pulled out of the water also have no plans to sue.

“It was an accident. We have been taking MB Mansan for a long time. That was the first time,” said passenger Josephine Abinasa. She said she and the others have signed a waiver indicating that they will not file a case against the owner and crew of the banca.

Commander Weniel Azcuna, Philippine Coast Guard chief of staff in Central Visayas, said it was not the first time the owner of M/B Mansan had violated maritime regulations.

VIOLATIONS

In 2012, Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) regional director Nannette Dinopol signed a cease and desist order against MB Mansan for operating without a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

Motorbanca owner Abapo was also cited for failing to secure Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, Coastwise License, and Manning Certificate in violation of Republic Act 9295.

Abapo failed to appear at a Marina Oct. 11 hearing, but filed a reply claiming he complied with the requirements and was willing to pay the administrative fines of P4,400.

Marina had ordered Abapo to pay P3,000 for operating without a CPC; P500 for operating without a Coastwise License; P400 for operating without a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate; and P500 for operating without a Manning Certificate.

Azcuna said the owner committed the following violations last Friday: failure to notify the Coast Guard and leaving port despite a gale warning. They could not, however, prove that the vessel was used for commercial purposes because no passage tickets were issued to the passengers.

ILLEGAL

Marina 7 spokesman Jose Cabatingan said the vessel was operating illegally.

But Evangeline Abapo said they have a permit for the vessel to transport cargo. Owners of the cargo are not allowed on the motorbanca but some would ask to be allowed to accompany their cargoes.

Abapo said they have been operating for more than 30 years, transporting fish and shells to the Pasil Fish Market in Cebu City daily from Bohol.

“It was the first time. We thought that the typhoon will arrive on Sunday. When they left Bohol, the sea was calm. There was no sign of strong waves at all,” she said.

Cabatingan said Marina is waiting for skipper Aparice to file a marine protest about the incident.

Payusan and the victims were ferried by MV Filipinas Dinagat of Cokaliong Shipping to Cebu City. The passenger ship chanced upon the victims on its way to Cebu from Surigao.