PCG eyes Aster double take

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will conduct another sweep of the burned MV June Aster in Palawan to ensure that no evidence or materials that could aid the investigation are left behind.

“As to the development now, we have almost searched the entire vessel, starting from the accommodation area, including the economy, air-conditioning, and bridge areas. The cargo deck is also included,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemi Cayabyab said during the Saturday News Forum.

The PCG on Friday nearly completed dewatering the engine room, which Cayabyab said had challenged Coast Guard personnel because the area remained flooded.

Cayabyab added that the engine room was considered an important compartment in the vessel, as it could contain pieces of evidence that could help investigators determine what happened.

“[On Friday], we had almost removed all the water from the engine room, and today [Saturday], we will be doing a secondary sweep,” she said.

Legal help desk up

The Coast Guard spokesperson also said the PCG deployed its Legal Assistance Desk to Coron, Palawan, with lawyers to provide legal assistance to families affected by the maritime incident.

The Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operations and Coron Municipal Police Station also worked with the PCG to conduct a thorough inspection of the vessel and gather remaining evidence.

The PCG said it has been consolidating all information received since the first day of the incident and has activated two investigation teams — the Maritime Safety Investigation and the Maritime Crime Investigation teams.

“For the maritime safety investigation, we will look into all the historical data and historical information before the vessel sailed, including its documents,” Cayabyab said.

“And we will also be checking what the response, instructions, and emergency procedures of the vessel’s captain were after he received this information,” the PCG spokesperson added.