TWO vessels of the Island Express Shipping Corp. were allowed to sail a day after the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) ordered the suspension of the company’s entire fleet.
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina-7) said it cleared the Island Express 3 and LTC Express 1 to sail and ply the route to Bantayan island, northern Cebu.
A hearing on the show cause order against the company will be held at the end of the month.
“It helped that LCT Island II is a brand-new ship launched last April this year while the MV Island Roro I just underwent drydocking about two weeks ago”, the agency said.
But Super Island Express II, which served the Cebu-Tubigon, Bohol route is still docked at the pier after inspectors noted minor deficiencies.
The company’s sixth vessel, MV Island Express V, is scheduled to dock at Santiago Shipyard in Tayud, Consolacion town.
Alex Tan, owner of Island Shipping Corp., said they called the bureau of inspectors from Manila upon receiving the DOTC order since they cannot afford a longer suspension of their fleet.
After the Island Express I caught fire and sank, resulting in the deaths of three people including their chief mate, Alverado Torevillas, the company is left with five vessels.
Three of them traverse the routes leading to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island port and Hagnaya, in Daanbantayan.
Two vessels named LTC Island 2 and MV Island Roro 1 are still undergoing inspection.
In a radio interview, Tan said MV Island Express Fastcraft I had sufficient firefighting equipment and life jackets.
He said the crew was unable to use the fire hydrant in the vessel because the power was cut off.
The families of the victims will each receive P100,000 in insurance benefits while the rest of the passengers will receive P3,000 each for damages.
Tan said the families of the victims should personally claim the amount in their office.
At the Cebu City Council, Councilor Edgardo Labella passed a resolution yesterday commending the crew of Sea Jet fast craft who rescued the passengers of the ill-fated Island Fast Craft I.
Labella was on board the Sea Jet when it came back to Cebu from Tubigon Bohol after it dropped the rescued passengers and the three fatalities.
“Another few hours without help and many people would have perished,” Labella said.
He also urged the Marina and Philippine Coast Guard to look into the existence of appropriate emergency exits of all inter-island sea vessels, especially closed-cabins and fast-craft ferries. With Correspondent Edison delos Angeles