MV Trans Asia 9 left Cagayan de Oro City’s port at 8 p.m. last Sunday and was expected to arrive in Cebu City at 7 a.m. on Monday. But the vessel had yet to reach the Cebu City port as of 3 p.m Monday.
A male passenger who asked not to be named said the vessel already encountered problems even before they left the port of Cagayan de Oro.
The telco worker said the vessel’s anchor got entangled with a nearby vessel’s anchor which delayed their departure. He said Trans Asia 9 finally managed to leave the Cagayan de Oro City port at midnight.
He said the vessel encountered engine problems at 4 am. Ship personnel gave their passengers breakfast and lunch to compensate for their delay in their arrival at the Cebu City port.
However, he said, majority of the passengers still wanted to file a complaint against the management at the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) since the delay forced them to be absent at work and cancel their other commitments.
Commander Agapito Bibat, head of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu station, said they have yet to investigate the incident.