LIMBONES ISLAND, Cavite -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is looking forward to a possible termination of the retrieval operation along the wreckage site of the ill-fated M/V Catalyn-B after the rescue divers failed to see the remaining bodies inside the vessel.

PCG-NCR district commander Commodore Luis Tuason Jr. said that he already recommended to PCG commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo the termination of the retrieval operation after a series of diving operations in the previous weeks, in which 27 casualties were recovered by combined teams from the PCG-Special Operation Group, Philippine Technical Divers (PhilTech), and the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).

“According to the latest report given to me by Mr. [Alex] Santos and Lt. Cdr [Neil] Azcuna, they didn’t [find] any trace of the remaining missing bodies inside [the] ship, and it looks like the divers already [did] their part so I recommend the termination of the retrieval operation to Admiral Tamayo,” Tuason said.

Santos and the rest of PhilTech and SOG divers Friday made a final descend along the wreckage site to check if there were bodies still trapped inside the vessel but found no traces of the missing cadavers.

Tuason added that he would let the families of the missing six passengers watch the latest video taken by Santos during the diving operation for them to decide if they would appeal to extend the operation.

A total of 10 diving operations have been conducted by the joint retrieval team since the incident happened last December 24. The Coast Guard even suffered a casualty during the risky diving operations after a PCG-SOG diver, Petty Officer 3rd-Class Armand Bonifacio suffered from cardiac arrest while underwater.

Forty-seven passengers survived the tragic incident.

The divers proceeded to Limbones Island around 10 a.m. Friday but decided to stop the operation by lunch time after the team didn’t find any more cadavers inside the vessel.