ROEL Sarmiento, the captain of the ill-fated MV June Aster, has surfaced five days after the ferry caught fire off Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Tuesday.
Authorities are continuing to account for victims of the maritime disaster that has left 76 people dead.
The PCG said Sarmiento voluntarily appeared at the Palawan office of Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., the vessel’s operator, on Monday, Sept. 14.
Sarmiento was accompanied by Dindo Macalinao, human resources generalist of Atienza Interisland Ferries, according to the PCG.
His appearance was subsequently reported to the Emergency Operations Center.
PCG spokesman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said investigators would gather information from Sarmiento regarding the circumstances surrounding the Sept. 9 fire, including his whereabouts after the incident and what happened before he appeared at the shipping company’s office.
Sarmiento was not included in the official list of survivors following the incident, prompting authorities to establish his whereabouts.
The latest accounting by joint government authorities showed 44 survivors, including Sarmiento, 76 recovered fatalities and 12 people still missing, the PCG said.
The figures represent the latest accounting as recovery, identification and verification operations continue.
The PCG said the ticket manifest listed 134 individuals, but two people later reported that they did not board the vessel.
With 44 survivors, 76 fatalities and 12 missing, the latest figures account for all 132 people who were aboard the vessel.
The captain’s reappearance changes the official survivor count and resolves one of the outstanding questions over the whereabouts of a key crew member.
Investigation into fire Investigators are expected to obtain Sarmiento’s account of what happened aboard the vessel before, during and after the fire.
The PCG is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the cause of the fire and the events that followed.
The June Aster was sailing toward Coron, Palawan, when the fire broke out on Sept. 9.
