Fastcraft towed due to engine trouble

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) here said that M/V City of General Santos (Montenegro Shipping Lines) will not be allowed to sail after it suffered engine trouble while on its way here yesterday.

Chief Petty Officer Louie Campaner, head of the Coast Guard Substation Bacolod, in a media interview, said that the Montenegro management will have to file a marine protest so that the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) could conduct an inspection and give them a certificate of seaworthiness.

Campaner said that he received a call from the operations manager of Montenegro around 1:40 p.m. informing him about the said trouble at the vicinity waters of the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) port.

PCG personnel were immediately deployed to respond and prepare the tugboat.

The vessel was carrying 53 passengers, including crew members from Iloilo City when the incident happened.

All the passengers were safe and sound, and nobody felt unwell, as there were five Coast Guard personnel on board, who helped secure them, Campaner said.

The vessel was towed by M/Tug Sadr and arrived at Bredco port at 2:30 p.m., according to Campaner.

This incident happened barely a month after M/V Weesam Express 6 also suffered mechanical trouble at Panay-Bacolod sea that led to the rescue of its 172 passengers, including crew members on November 21.