MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) chief on Tuesday could not give an exact timeline on when their divers could extract trapped bodies inside a sunken ferry off Limbones Island in Cavite province.

"We cannot be specific on this, but we want to engage as soon as possible," PCG chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo told ANC's News@8 when asked when they would be able to account for all the 24 missing passengers believed trapped inside the sunken ferry, MV Catalyn B.

Tamayo said Coast Guard Auxiliary divers, led by Matthew Caldwell, have spotted 12 bodies floating inside the sunken ferry. He said the ferry was 221 feet below the surface and was at least 2 nautical miles away from Limbones Island.

He said Caldwell's team has agreed to dive again and try to retrieve the bodies.

"That is our main concern right now," Tamayo said, adding that they would concentrate on retrieving the bodies before planning on how to "obtain evidence from the wreck" or retrieve the whole vessel with the help of a private company.

He said the PCG is keeping the same number of victims, which include 46 rescued, 3 fatalities and 24 missing, despite the sighting of the floating bodies.

The ferry, carrying at least 73 people, was on its way to Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro from Manila when it sank on Christmas Eve, at least 2 nautical miles from Limbones Island off Maragondon town.

The wooden-hulled ferry sank after smashing into the steel-hulled fishing vessel “Anatalia.” The government has grounded other boats of the owners of the two vessels.

Baleno 9 oil sleek

Meanwhile, Tamayo said the PCG is looking into the possibility of an oil sleek from another sunken ferry, MV Baleno 9, a roll-on roll-off vessel that sank off San Agapito point in Isla Verde, Batangas City.

He said rescue and retrieval operations for the missing passenger of the Baleno 9 continue with the help of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force and volunteers from the Philippine National Oil Company.

The PCG has yet to determine how much oil the ferry was carrying when it sank on December 26, or 2 days after the Catalyn B mishap.

Tamayo said 73 ferry passengers have been rescued, 6 bodies have been retrieved and 36 more are feared dead. There was an initial count of a total of 88 passengers of the ferry, but the PCG chief estimates the total occupants of the vessel to more than 100 based on a "supplemental manifest" of the boat.

A rescued passenger, Alberto Perez of Batangas City, had said in interviews that the ferry could have been overloaded with passengers.

“It’s possible we were overloaded because there were many vehicles and passengers coming from Christmas holiday in Mindoro,” he said.

Coast Guard officials said they will conduct an immediate inquiry into the vessel’s captain and crew.

Two PCG officers based in Mindoro province have been relieved pending an investigation of the ship's sinking.