Senators threaten to probe Sulpicio
Cayetano, Pimentel: Letting ships sail premature
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:42:00 08/25/2008
Filed Under: Sulpicio ferry disaster, Waterway & Maritime Transport, Congress
MANILA, Philippines—Opposition senators are threatening to open an investigation into the record of Sulpicio Lines, owner of the M/V Princess of the Stars, whose sinking in June left hundreds dead, saying the decision to allow it to operate again was “unacceptable” to the public.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano Sunday said Congress would not take “sitting down” the government’s move allowing Sulpicio to carry passengers on its fleet again.
Cayetano was reacting to an Aug. 8 order of the Board of Marine Inquiry, which said it would allow Sulpicio to resume passenger-cargo vessel operations as long as it tapped an International Safety Management (ISM) certified ship management company, retrained its crews and upgraded the insurance coverage of its passengers, crew and cargo.
Sulpicio’s passenger ships have been grounded since the sinking of the Princess of the Stars, but its cargo vessels had been allowed to sail because Sulpicio control led a sizable chunk of the sea cargo industry.
Cayetano suggested the Senate might join the House of Representatives in launching an inquiry of the firm, which he pointed out held the record for the worst maritime disaster in peacetime with the sinking of its ship, the Doña Paz, in which thousands died.
Look into entire record
“I don’t think it is acceptable to the public for the government to let this company continue to operate after it had been involved in a number of sea mishaps from which it has escaped without any sanctions,” Cayetano said.
He said the Senate might not only look into Sulpicio’s latest disaster, the sinking of the Princess of the Stars, but also its entire shipping record.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he wanted to examine the BMI report to determine whether Sulpicio had been punished enough.
“Sulpicio has killed thousands and it appears it has not paid enough to its victims,” he said.
Cayetano said that “the mere fact that it has been found to be accident-prone” should compel the government to put its foot down and tell Sulpicio that it was not fit for the shipping business and should move on to other areas.
‘How can you compensate?’
“Whether a company has bad luck for having too many accidents, why cannot the Department of Transportation and Communications and other maritime agencies look into their issuance of certificates of public conveyance and tell them point-blank ‘Look, you are transporting lives and not just goods that you can compensate. How can you pay for lost lives?”’ Cayetano said.
With 45 shipping disasters in 28 years on its record, Cayetano said the government had no choice but to show it means business when it comes to the safety of passengers.
“I don’t want to be unfair to the company and declare its guilt or innocence in the accidents, but surely the government must make a clear example and show it means business when it comes to the safety of its citizens. And so far this administration and other administrations have been lousy in ensuring the safety of sea travel, especially with this company,” he said.
Cayetano added that there were still many questions and issues that remained unresolved in the BMI probe.
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