Five days after the MV June Aster fire that claimed 76 lives, Captain Roel Sarmiento voluntarily appeared at the Philippine Coast Guard’s Palawan field office to provide information about the maritime disaster.
The PCG said investigators will interview Sarmiento about the circumstances of the incident, including his whereabouts after the fire and the events before his appearance.
Authorities have so far recorded 44 survivors, 76 fatalities,s and 12 people still missing, while the passenger count was revised to 132 after two listed passengers said they did not board the vessel.
The ship caught fire on Sept. 9 while sailing from Manila to Coron after an explosion was heard in its cargo hold, and it remains grounded off Coron, Palawan.
Authorities have temporarily buried 41 unidentified bodies as PNP forensic experts conduct DNA testing, a process that could take weeks or months.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 16, 2026
