AFTER more than two weeks of intensive searching, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has officially shifted its mission for the missing passengers of the motorbanca (MBCA) Amejara from rescue to retrieval.
Commodore Philipps Soria, commander of the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM), made the announcement during a press briefing at the Sasa headquarters on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
“Survival is no longer feasible,” Soria stated.
Expanded retrieval zone
Despite the shift in mission status, Soria emphasized that the operation is far from over.
Retrieval efforts have officially extended beyond the Philippine maritime boundary and into Indonesian waters. The expansion follows a drift analysis indicating that remains or debris may have been carried further southwest by the peak Amihan currents.
The PCG is coordinating with the Indonesian Maritime Agency, which has already reported sightings of floating objects potentially linked to the ill-fated vessel.
As retrieval operations continue, two specialized teams—the Marine Casualty Investigation (MCI) Team and the Incident Investigation Team (IIT)—are expected to finalize their reports within the week.
These probes will determine the administrative and criminal liabilities of the vessel’s owner and crew regarding the unauthorized voyage that began on Jan. 17.
To date, the Amejara tragedy has resulted in one survivor and six confirmed fatalities, with nine individuals still missing at sea.
