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TRANSPORTATION Secretary Leandro Mendoza Tuesday
defended the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) against
doubts it can conduct an unbiased probe into the MV
Princess of the Stars mishap.
Commenting on concerns about a possible lopsided
investigation of the maritime tragedy involving Sulpicio
Lines Inc.(SLI), Mendoza said in a news briefing after
the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)
meeting that the “majority” of the panel members are
experienced “retired mariners” and would involve
resource persons from academe.
In
related developments:
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A labor
alliance asked the government to consider taking over
SLI if it is found guilty of violating regulations that
led to the ferry tragedy, adding that a decision to shut
it down could cause massive job losses.
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Vice
President Noli de Castro urged SLI to have a more
organized and transparent means of informing relatives
of victims on developments in the search-and-rescue
operations.
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Senate
Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan scored the
“callousness” of the shipping firm for saying it had not
been so quick in updating the families of victims
because it was also concerned with salvaging whatever it
could of its very “expensive” vessel, the flagship of
the company.
“Yesterday, when we had the organizational meeting of
the BMI, we made sure that they are competent enough to
handle this investigation and make sure that no biases
are introduced in the investigation,” Mendoza said.
He said
the BMI members “assured us that they would be very
professional.”
At the
meeting, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez recommended the
exclusion of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the
Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) from a government
investigation on the tragedy to ensure the “credibility”
of the findings of the probe body.
Asked
why the PCG and Marina should inhibit themselves from
the task force, he said: “I would think that considering
they have some involvement and they may be subject of
the probe or investigation themselves, it would be
better, perhaps, that they should inhibit.”
Mendoza
appeared lukewarm to the idea, as well as to whether it
would be best for PCG Commandant Vice Adm.Wilfredo
Tamayo to go on leave pending the investigation.
“We are
evaluating the impact on the absence of the leadership
of the Coast Guard. That’s one. And, of course, the
others are while the PCG in itself is under
investigation, Admiral Tamayo is not the one responsible
in clearing the ship to sail on that Friday night of the
typhoon,” he said.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said: “On that
particular issue, we are still faced with a problem,
that’s why a task force was created, because right now
PCG is in the forefront of the whole thing. Perhaps
while this is a mishap in the sea where we would like to
pinpoint certain responsibilities, let’s set it aside
and await first the developments and let the proper
agency of government give their recommendation later
on.”
Armed
Forces Chief Gen. Alexander Yano said US Navy Ship
Stockham arrived at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in the
vicinity of the mishap to assist in search-and-rescue
operations, and added that the US Pacific Command has
offered additional assistance.
“The US
Pacific Command also offered additional assistance. They
can have a salvage ship, which is a platform for divers
coming from Japan to sail in three to four days towards
the country. They also have a group of four to five
ships in the vicinity west of the Philippines that can
sail towards our area in 36 hours when needed,” Yano
said.
In
Washington, D.C., President Arroyo thanked the US
government for its help to the typhoon victims, a Palace
press statement said.
She
conveyed Manila’s gratitude during her meeting with US
State Department Deputy Secretary John Negroponte, a
former US Ambassador to the Philippines.
Washington has pledged to send P4 million worth of
emergency relief goods through the Philippine National
Red Cross (PNRC).
In a
separate development, the militant Alliance of
Progressive Labor (APL) on Tuesday proposed a temporary
government takeover of the embattled Sulpicio Lines Inc.
if its management is found liable for the sinking of a
ship carrying about 800 passengers and personnel.
Joshua
Mata, APL secretary-general, said workers should not be
punished with loss of jobs if ongoing investigations
find Sulpicio Lines responsible for Saturday’s sinking
of MV Princess of the Stars that trapped hundreds of its
passengers and crew.
“Our
concern here are the workers in case the government
penalizes Sulpicio Lines. The government has to make
sure that the company’s operation will keep
running….maybe temporarily taking over the company until
such time that a new management takes over,” Mata said
in a telephone interview.
Relatedly, Vice President de Castro strongly urged
Sulpicio Lines to immediately establish crisis centers
in Manila and Cebu to speed up efforts to address the
concerns of the family of the victims.
Senator
Pangilinan also assailed the callousness of Sulpicio
Lines and called for the swift dispensation of justice
for the victims and their loved one.
“They
should release the passenger manifest of the ill-fated
vessel and inform the family members of the latest
reports on survivors. In the crisis centers, they should
provide for psychologists to help ease the pain of
family victims and not just ward them away like what
their security guards are doing now,” Vice President de
Castro said. |
