Ship captain recounts ordeal, Coast Guard eyes possible spill

Captain Napoleon Emphasis narrates to CDN how MV Meridian Tres sank in the seas near Dawahon Island between the province of Bohol and Leyte on Tuesday evening. (CDN PHOTO/ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL)

A team from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Marine Environmental Protection Command was dispatched yesterday to the waters near Dawahon Island between the provinces of Bohol and Leyte to monitor possible oil spills following the sinking of cargo vessel MV Miridian Tres, Tuesday night.

Bunker fuel was reportedly used in the vessel’s main engine while its generators were run by diesel.

The vessel sank at past 8 p.m., hours after it left Pier 5 in Cebu City at 1:55 p.m. on Tuesday.

The winds were strong but the seas at the Mactan Channel were smooth when MV Meridian Tres left the port.

Since the steel-hulled cargo vessel was over 250 gross tons, it was cleared to sail to Tacloban City.

Seven hours later, the vessel was battered by huge waves in between the islands of Leyte and Bohol, causing it to tilt and later sink.

At least 28 crew members were saved by nearby vessels and Coast Guard teams that responded to the distress call. However, a crane operator, identified as Benjamin Orola, remained missing.

Ship captain Napoleon Emphasis and 23 surviving crew members were brought to the Cebu Coast Guard station on Wednesday morning to rest and undergo stress debriefing.

The four others were scheduled to arrive in Cebu on Thursday.

They were set to issue sworn statements that would be used for any investigation that may be conducted.

Except for a few scratches on the legs, not one of them sustained serious injuries.

Emphasis, 64, said that while his body was aching following his ordeal, he was grateful that he was alive.

“Nagpasalamat ko sa Ginoo nga gibuhi pa ko niya aron mag-atiman sa akong mga apo (I thank the Lord for allowing me to live so I could still take care of my grandchildren),” he said.

Emphasis said the water was calm although it was windy when they left the port.

After six hours or around 8 p.m., Emphasis said monster waves in quick succession pummeled the vessel in the waters near Dawahon Island.

“Wala ko magtuo nga ingon ato kadagko nga bawod ang mosugat namo. Dagko gyud kaayo (I did not expect giant waves to greet us. They were really huge),” he said in an interview with Cebu Daily News.

Rescued crew members of MV Meridian Tres talks about their ordeal with a crew member of MV Filipinas Butuan. They are set to arrive in Cebu on Thursday morning. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/CHESTER COKALIONG)

Buffeted by strong winds and huge waves, Emphasis said he immediately called the company’s operations manager and sought permission for them to take shelter at the nearest port.

His request was approved.

But it was too late to maneuver the cargo vessel as it lost its balance following the collapse of its stockpile of 160 20-footer containers and five units 10-footer containers reportedly loaded with fertilizers, a car, and a forklift.

“Dahan-dahan na nitagilid ang barko, para bang 45 degrees (The cargo vessel slowly tilted 45 degrees to the sea),” Emphasis said.

He said he immediately sent a distress call to nearby sea vessels which also alerted the Coast Guard stations for possible rescue operations.

At around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Emphasis ordered his crew to abandon the vessel.

He said three other vessels — LCT-PMI-8, MV Filipinas Butuan and MV Ocean Kingdom — responded to the distress call and helped rescue them.

Emphasis relayed the ordeal they suffered on Tuesday evening.

Here’s list of rescued crew members of MV Meridian Tres. (ROBERT DEJON)

“Ngitngit, tugnaw, gutom. Sakit kaayo ang akong lawas. Pero malipayon ko nga naluwas mi (It was dark, cold, and I was hungry. My body aches. But I am happy that we were saved),” he said.

Emphasis, a native of Isabel town, Leyte, who has been a captain for 35 years, expressed hopes that Orola, the missing crew member, is still alive.

“Maayo unta makit-an siya nga buhi (I hope he will be found alive),” he said.

Cebu Coast Guard Station Commander Dionilett Ampil said a gale warning was issued on Tuesday, prohibiting sea vessels below 250 gross tons from sailing.

MV Meridian Tres, he said, was however cleared to leave the Port of Cebu since the cargo vessel owned by Cresencio Tio had a gross tonnage of 2,528.

“They can actually sail although the ship captain or the owner can cancel the trip if they think they could hardly make it due to bad weather,” Ampil said.

He said an in-depth investigation will be conducted to find out what caused MV Meridian Tres to sink.

“It was cleared to sail so we did not find any violations. The lashing of the cargo was also inspected before it sailed. However, an investigation has to be made to find out what really happened,” Ampil said.

He advised other vessels passing by the area where MV Miridian Tres sank to watch out for floating container vans which have yet to be taken to the coastline.

Ampil said they have requested the vessel’s owners to send tugboats and clear the area from container vans./with reports from Inquirer.net