The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) says four more individuals listed on the MV June Aster passenger manifest did not board the ship when it departed Baseco Port in Manila on Sept. 8. The verification reduces the number of missing passengers from 12 to eight, according to PCG updates reported by multiple outlets.
Inquirer.net and GMA News Online both cite PCG verification that took place after investigators reviewed information during the response and later confirmed the absence of the four listed passengers. Inquirer.net adds that the PCG Emergency Operations Center in Coron discovered the information on Sept. 15 and that three of the four individuals reported they had intended to board but were unable to do so.
Other reporting focuses on the same confirmed count of four additional people not boarding, reflecting a tightening of passenger records as authorities continue assessing who was actually on board at the time the vessel caught fire while traveling to Coron, Palawan.
