WASHINGTON D.C. -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is supporting a congressional inquiry being pushed by her allies at the House of Representatives into the ferry tragedy in Romblon.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said legislators, who joined the President?s trip to the United States, had informed her about their plan to initiate an ?extensive? investigation on the issue.

?They informed the President. In fact, the President welcomed this initiative,? Dureza said late Monday night here.

In a dialogue with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, also chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, the lawmakers also sought assurances from the NDCC that some assistance should be given to the families and the victims of the sea mishap involving the MV Princess of the Stars that capsized last Saturday as it was battered by strong waves spawned by typhoon ?Frank? (international codename: Fengshen).

Dureza said the chairman of the House committee on transportation, Bacolod Representative Monico Puentevella, would like to start the ?intensive? investigation the soonest possible time.

?Sabi ni Monico kanina [Monico said earlier], it?s a wide-ranging investigation that will cover everything. It will even go beyond just incident but look into the previous history of Sulpicio lines,? he said.

The lawmakers who joined the President?s trip included the President?s sons, Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel Arroyo and Camarines Sur Representative Diosdado ?Dato? Arroyo, House Deputy Speakers Raul del Mar and Ma. Amelita Villarosa, Cebu Representatives Antonio and Eduardo Gullas, Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez, Manila Representative Amado Bagatsing, Quirino Representative Junie Cua, Bataan Representative Albert Garcia, Quezon City Representatives Mary Ann Susano and Nanette Castelo- Daza, Muntinlupa Representative Rufino Biazon, Pampanga Representative Anna York Bondoc, Zambales Representative Antonio Diaz, Easten Samar Representative Teodolo Coquilla, Pangsinan Representative Conrado Estrella, and Masbate Representative Rizalina Seachon-Lanete.

Some of the legislators were among those whose areas were hit by typhoon ?Frank.?

Dureza said these lawmakers would have wanted to cut short their trip but later decided to stay on to lobby for the immediate passage of a bill that would give pension benefits to Filipino veterans during World War II.

The bill was overwhelmingly passed by the US Senate but has yet to be acted on by the US House of Representatives.

?It?s not that they are leaving their place of calamity and enjoying here in the US. That?s farthest from what I get from them in my talk to them,? the Palace official said.

?They are a little even uneasy about being here and there?s calamity there in their constituencies. But the feeling there was that let?s just go ahead muna dahil may strategic value yung kanilang presence ditto [because their presence here has strategic value] especially in fighting for the approval [of the bill] in the House,? Dureza said.