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BLAMING the alleged inaccurate weather bulletin and
tropical cyclone warnings issued by the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (Pagasa) at the height of Typhoon Frank,
Sulpicio Lines Inc. filed Monday afternoon a civil case
before the Regional Trial Court in Manila for alleged
damage done to the shipping company.
Sulpicio Lines filed charges against Pagasa, its
director Prisco Nilo and weather services chief
Nathaniel Cruz.
The
accident-prone company asked the court to make the
respondents pay P4.5 million in damages.
Sulpicio Lines senior vice president Edgar Go filed the
case in behalf of himself and members of his family who
own and operate the shipping corporation.
The
suit claimed that M/V Princess of the Stars left the
Port of Manila on June 20 bound for Cebu on a regular
voyage. It carried both passengers and cargo “within
authorized limits as it was reportedly inspected and
cleared for departure by the Coast Guard.”
At the
time of the departure, Capt. Florencio Marimon Sr.,
Princess of the Star’s master, allegedly relied on the
Pagasa report issued at 4:45 p.m. which announced bad
weather in various places, but only placed Manila under
Typhoon Signal 1.
Despite the stormy weather in various parts of the
country, the vessel was allegedly cleared to leave
because the ferry was the biggest in the country at
23,824.17 gross tons and could cruise at an average
speed of 20 knots. The complaint asserted that the ship,
if needed, could seek shelter in various areas along her
preplotted route to Cebu.
At 11
p.m., while the vessel was reportedly still in the
Corregidor area, Pagasa issued Weather Bulletin 9 which
said that the typhoon will move northwest at 19
kilometers per hour. With that report, the vessel
proceeded on her course as the forecast position of the
typhoon would put the vessel at a parallel distance of
around 160 kilometers from each other.
However, the typhoon did not move northwest as forecast,
but turned westward.
Instead of going up to the Luzon area and safely passing
the vessel at a parallel distance of around 160
kilometers, it went across south of Masbate in a
westward direction, where the vessel was headed.
The
next weather bulletin was issued at 5 a.m. of June 21,
which said that the typhoon has moved west for the past
six hours and was in the vicinity of Panay and Mindoro.
Sulpicio said that if the westward movement occurred
only after 11 p.m. of June 20 (counting six hours
backwards from 5 a.m. of June 21), Pagasa could still
have issued a supplemental broadcast advising ships at
sea. “Had this been done, the vessel, which was then in
the Romblon area, could have sought shelter there.”
“Defendants should have coordinated with the Coast Guard
or advised the latter of the significant change in
Frank’s direction, so that the Coast Guard could have
warned ships at sea of the correct and actual position
and movement of the typhoon,” Sulpicio lines said.
The
shipping company asked the court to make Pagasa pay P2.5
million by way of moral damages, P1 million for “loss of
goodwill,” P500,000 for exemplary damages, P150,000 for
attorney’s fees and litigation expenses and P500,000 for
moral damages allegedly done to Go.
Science Secretary Estrella Alabastro said the science
and technology department as well as Pagasa have yet to
receive a copy of the complaint.
Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Manila archbishop, meanwhile
assailed the management of Sulpicio Lines, saying that
the recent sea tragedy was an “act of a stupid person.”
“Of
course rain, earthquake, typhoons are much definitely an
act of God. But sailing right into the eye of the storm
is not an act of God. It’s an act of a stupid person,”
Rosales said after saying Mass at the Manila Cathedral
on Monday.
The
cardinal, known for being occasionally reserved on
social issues, gave an unsolicited advice to the
company: “Maybe they should not be in this kind of
business.”
After
experiencing major sea disasters in the past, Rosales
said Sulpicio Lines should think of venturing into
another business since it cannot claim innocence for
every shipwreck under its management.
“If
it’s true that the shipping line had been involved in at
least three major sea disasters in the past, I think
they should really address it [problem].
The
owners cannot always say that accidents happen. They
should be careful,” said Rosales.
He was
referring to three Sulpicio passenger ships that sank
while on sea including MV Doña Paz, where about 4,000
people were killed in 1987, the world’s worst peacetime
maritime disaster. -- TJ Agcaoili, J. Mayuga and
C. Jimenez |
