Captain of sunken vessel hailed a ‘hero’
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has hailed as an act of “heroism” the order of the still-missing captain of the ill-fated cargo ship that capsized off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal for survivors to jump ship, when the vessel started to tilt due to “liquefaction” and bad weather.
The account of Capt. Elimar Jucal’s instructions was relayed by the 15 survivors of the sunken MV Devon Bay, who were brought to Manila by the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which arrived at port early Monday.
The survivors did not grant any interview, leaving Teresa Magbanua Capt. Alvin Dagalea—who led their turnover to the PCG—to recount their ordeal.
READ: Remains of 2 M/V Devon Bay crew recovered, arrived in Manila port
“The other crew jumped based on the captain’s instruction to abandon the ship,” Dagalea said. “He was the last to get out of the ship before it sank. After that, they did not see him again.”
Jucal is among the four Devon Bay crew members still missing, while the bodies of two crew members—an able seaman and boatswain’s mate—were also brought aboard the Teresa Magbanua.
‘Inspiration’
Meanwhile, the 15 survivors were received in Manila by the Department of Migrant Workers and the Bureau of Quarantine.
Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, PCG commandant, expressed optimism that Jucal could still be found, as the armed service’s BRP Cape San Agustin and the PCG Islander aircraft remain deployed in search and rescue operations for Jucal and three other missing crew members.
Gavan also hailed Jucal’s “heroism,” calling it “an inspiration to every marine.”
“I want to highlight the heroism of the captain,” he said. “He did not neglect his fellow crew members.”
“It is basic that the captain should be the last to leave his ship,” Gavan added. “And he demonstrated this as expected.”
The Singapore-flagged MV Devon Bay had 21 Filipino crew and was carrying nickel ore when it left Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte province, for Guangdong, China.
According to Gavan, initial findings suggest that bad weather and the “liquefaction” of its cargo led to the capsizing of the ship, which Dagalea said occurred 111.12 kilometers (60 nautical miles) northeast of Panatag Shoal.
Gavan said Devon Bay was carrying 55,000 tons of nickel ore. Last week, the PCG initially reported the cargo to be iron ore.
Smooth transfer
“The moisture content of the cargo caused the shifting of the weight to the left side of the ship or the port side, that’s why it listed,” Gavan noted.
“And the weather was not good; the waves were quite big,” he added.
After jumping overboard, the survivors were rescued by a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship, and later turned over to the PCG at a point approximately 298.17 km (161 nautical miles) west of Tambobong village in Dasol, Pangasinan.
Dagalea said the CCG deployed five rescue boats while the PCG also launched two of its rigid hull inflatable boats to transport the 15 survivors and two cadavers.
“The transfer was very smooth; both sides were very cooperative,” Dagalea said. “In fact, we thanked them (CCG) for their timely response.”
This was unlike previous incidents in Panatag Shoal when the CCG and PCG were in tense encounters, punctuated by the Aug. 11, 2025, incident which saw the collision of a CCG vessel and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy warship while in pursuit of a Philippine vessel.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, but the 2016 arbitral award ruled in favor of the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, and also declared Panatag Shoal as a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.
Gavan said saving lives in emergency situations trumps territorial and jurisdictional disputes.
“The lives of the people are important,” he said. “It (saving lives) knows no borders.” /cb
