The captain of the ill-fated MV June Aster could face administrative charges as authorities investigate the ferry fire that has now claimed at least 76 lives off Coron, Palawan.
The latest development was confirmed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Regional Office 4, which said the captain may be held accountable if investigators determine that maritime safety regulations or other rules were violated before, during or after the tragedy.
MARINA Regional Office 4 Director Atty. Maximo Bañares Jr. told Bombo Radyo that authorities are still looking for the captain so he can provide information that could help establish what happened aboard the vessel.
The Philippine Coast Guard has identified the captain as Roel Sarmiento. Authorities initially received information that he survived the fire and went with other crew members to the Barangay Turda covered court. However, he has since remained unaccounted for and was not included in the official list of 43 survivors.
The PCG said the captain’s whereabouts are important to the investigation because authorities need his account of the emergency, including how the fire was detected, what actions were taken by the crew, whether passengers were properly alerted and whether emergency procedures were followed.
76 dead as recovery operation uncovers more remains
The investigation comes as the death toll from the MV June Aster disaster continues to rise.
On September 12, authorities recovered 41 additional human remains from the burned-out vessel. Combined with the remains previously recovered, the confirmed death toll reached 76.
The latest figures show that 43 people survived, while 13 remain unaccounted for. The figures are still subject to validation as authorities continue recovery and identification operations.
Relatives of missing passengers also arrived in Coron on Sunday as authorities continued the painstaking process of identifying recovered remains and accounting for those still missing.
Fire spread rapidly after reported blast
The MV June Aster was sailing toward Coron after leaving Manila when the fire broke out on the evening of September 9.
A surviving crew member told investigators that the fire appeared to have started in the cargo hold. According to the initial account, what began as a small fire rapidly intensified within seconds.
Survivors also reported hearing a loud explosion before the flames rapidly spread through the vessel.
The speed at which the fire developed made evacuation extremely difficult. The PCG said some passengers were unable to obtain life jackets before jumping into the water.
Vessel had passed safety inspection
The tragedy has also raised questions about the vessel’s safety compliance.
According to the PCG, the MV June Aster underwent a pre-departure inspection before leaving Manila and had passed a Vessel Safety Enforcement Inspection in March 2026. Authorities said the ship was found compliant during that inspection.
However, passing an inspection does not rule out possible negligence during the voyage. Investigators are examining whether the crew followed emergency procedures and whether appropriate warnings and evacuation instructions were given after the fire started.
The shipping company may also face liability depending on the findings of the investigation.
The biggest question now: What happened on the bridge?
With dozens of lives lost, investigators are expected to focus heavily on the actions of the vessel’s officers and crew in the critical moments after the fire was detected.
Authorities will need to establish when the captain was alerted, whether an emergency alarm was sounded, what evacuation instructions were issued, whether passengers were directed toward life jackets and how the crew responded as the fire spread.
The captain’s account could therefore become a crucial piece of the investigation.
For now, MARINA has stressed that any administrative or other liability must be based on the findings of the investigation and any established violation of maritime rules.
As the search for the remaining missing passengers continues, families are also waiting for answers—not only about the fate of their loved ones, but about what went wrong aboard the MV June Aster before the disaster became one of the Philippines’ deadliest maritime tragedies in recent years.
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