TACLOBAN CITY, July 7 (PNA) – Top officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Eastern Visayas were relieved from their posts as death toll in the sinking of M/B Kim Nirvana off Ormoc City last week rose to 61 passenger.
PCG Eastern Visayas District Commander Capt. Pedro Tinampay has been ordered relieved from his post after M/B Kim Nirvana capsized in Ormoc Bay shortly after it departed the city last week.
The PCG headquarters also ordered the removal of Coast Guard Ormoc City station commander Lt. Adonis Aniasco and three members of a boarding team who checked the vessel prior to departure.
Their relief was to prevent them from influencing ongoing probe of the incident.
Investigators tagged overloading as the main cause of the sinking just few meters away from the port.
The boat’s official manifest showed it carried 173 passengers and 16 crews or a total of 189.
However, the current recorded casualties reached 61 and 145 survivors, bringing the total to 206.These are apart from the families who reported of still missing relatives.
The PNA tried to reach Tinampay for comment, but he did not take phone calls Tuesday night.
However, in a media interview, the official said he respect the decision of their national headquarters, but reaffirmed that it was not his responsibility to give clearance for the boat to sail.
PCG regional officials said they had not yet received formal orders from headquarters for their district commander to leave the post. (PNA)
RMA/SARWELL Q. MENIANO
