The Philippine Coast Guard has filed the first of several criminal complaints being pursued in connection with the fire incident involving the Ro-Pax ferry June Aster, the service said in a social media post on Monday, September 28.
The complaint, filed before the National Prosecution Service (NPS) of the Philippine Department of Justice, is for falsification of public documents under Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code against Roel Sarmiento, the ferry's captain.
Sarmiento had earlier reached out to local authorities and has been cooperating in the investigation into the tragedy. The coast guard said other appropriate complaints are being prepared based on evidence gathered during the investigation.
According to coast guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, the falsification complaint involves documents submitted by Sarmiento as part of the master's declaration of safe departure (MDSD), specifically concerning the declared number of individuals on board the vessel.
The complaint is now subject to evaluation by the NPS. If found sufficient, it will be docketed and formally assigned for preliminary investigation.
The coast guard added it is continuing its search for the eight missing individuals who were also on the ferry when the incident occurred.
June Aster was nearing her final destination of Coron municipality in Palawan province when the blaze ignited in an undisclosed area of the vessel on the late evening (local time) of September 9. The ferry was already engulfed in flames by the time the coast guard and other agencies arrived in the area to render assistance.
Of those who were on board at the time, 77 are confirmed dead while 43 were safely rescued.
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