2 Filipino Seafarers Murdered On Cargo Ship, Sydney Coroner Says
Two Filipino seafarers were allegedly murdered on a cargo ship dubbed as “Death Ship” Sage Sagittarius, according to Sydney Coroner.
Head chef Cesar Llanto, 42-year-old died last August 2012 either thrown overboard or he was killed on the ship and his body was thrown into the water by an unidentified person and never been found. Chief engineer Hector Collado, 55-year-old also died September 14 of the same year from multiple injuries and fell over the handrail causing his death.
NSW Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund said that the captaincy of the international-flagged ship was “Clearly unorthodox” and involved “Bullying and intimidation”.
“In my view, it would be an extraordinary coincidence if the person(s) who caused Mr. Lianto’s death were not also responsible for Mr. Collado’s death,” said by Freund quoted by Humansatsea.
On Wednesday (May 31, 2017), Ms. Freund delivered her findings at Gleve Coroners Court after inquest held for 11 days, in a span of about 18 months
She also cited the death of 37-year-old Japanese superintendent Kosaku Monji, who died after crushed in a conveyor on October 06, 2012 when he boarded the ship to investigate Mr. Lliando’s case.
Dean Summers, the national coordinator for the International Transport Workers’ Federation said Ms. Freund confirmed that the death of the 2 seafarers on Sage Sagittarius was a double murder.
Summer also said that investigation has revealed the evidence of a culture of silence and blacklisting and sale of guns by its captain Venancio Salas junior. The audio files from the ship’s bridge were found missing, according to the evidence revealed by the experts from the Voyage Date Recorder (VDR) system.
Freund also recommends establishing a permanent group to contact, liaise, and assist the investigation regarding the suspicious death of the seafarers from the cargo ship.
