Chief Petty Officer Rolando Rollada of the Bataan Coast Guard Station said Motor Tanker Matapat was at the anchorage area in Barangay Lamao, Limay and maneuvering when it was hit by strong winds and big waves before 1 a.m.
“Ito ang dahilan kung bakit sumadsad ito sa buhanginan ng Sitio Kabilang Ilog,” the CG officer said.
He said that they immediately inspected the area and found out that the vessel of 20 crews owned by Herma Corp. in Mariveles, Bataan was still without cargo.
“Wala namang nasaktan at walang oil spill,” Rollada said.
The ship was on top of sand where villagers were digging “pa-id,” a type of shell, some 60 yards from the fishing sitio.
“Sobra lakas ng hangin at alon. Hindi namain alam na lalakas ng ganoon. Nakatali sa pier ang dalawang barge at nagbanggaan kaya nabutas,” barge captain Leonardo Dalida said.
He said they brought the barges, one the Ralph Ronald, near the sandy area adjacent to the grounded vessel so as not to sink and bring more damages to the pier.
“Sobrang lakas ng hangin, napakalakas, naanod ang barko, bumalabag, umikot at tuloy sa buhanginan,” fisherman Ferdinand Aguirre said.
