Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 31) – A number of senators are pushing to hold government officials and personnel accountable for the capsizing of a motorboat off Binangonan, Rizal last week.
Senate Committee on Public Services chairperson Grace Poe and Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday filed separate resolutions calling for a legislative probe on the mishap in Laguna de Bay, where 27 passengers died and more than 40 survived.
Tulfo took offense at the Philippine Coast Guard’s pronouncement that it will file a complaint against the owner and crew of MB Aya Express, also known as Princess Aya.
“Dapat kung merong unang unang kakasuhan, number one yung inspector ng PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) na naka-assign sa pantalan na yun. Number 2, yung supervisor ng PCG ng inspector na yun sa ngalan ng tinatawag na command responsibility. Kung ginawa lang ng PCG ang kanilang trabaho, wala sanang lumubog na bangka,” Tulfo told reporters.
[Translation: The PCG should first file cases against the inspector assigned in the port as well as the supervisor for command responsibility. This would not have happened if the PCG only did its job.]
He said coast guard personnel should have prevented the MB Aya Express from sailing, considering that it exceeded its 30-passenger capacity and did not have enough life vests, on top of bad weather.
The Maritime Industry Authority, for its part, failed to check the seaworthiness of Princess Aya before giving it a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, Tulfo said.
“Definitely dapat lang talaga managot yung may-ari at yung kapitan ng bangka, pero bakit palagi na lang yung dilis? Nasan yung mga pating, nasan yung mga balyena, yan yung PCG tsaka yung Marina,” he said.
“Kawawa naman di ba, e walang mga pera, madaling makalusot. Walang impluwensya, madaling makulong,” he added.
[Translation: Definitely, the boat owner and captain should be held liable, but why focus on the small fish? How about the sharks and whales or the PCG and Marina? The small fish are easy to send to jail because they have no money and influence.]
Tulfo said the PCG and Marina should name the personnel involved and cooperate with the probe to avoid obstruction of justice charges. He said bribery or extortion could be another angle.
PCG chief Admiral Artemio Abu earlier said two PCG personnel were dismissed after the boat mishap.
READ: PCG dismisses 2 personnel over capsized boat in Laguna Lake
Poe noted the need to investigate whether the PCG and Marina did their job of inspecting the vessel and naking sure passengers are safe.
“This tragedy revealed serious maritime safety compliance lapses that need to be revisited to determine whether the regulations are insufficient to provide and ensure safe voyage of individuals at sea or whether there is simply complacency in the implementation,” she said in a statement.
RELATED: Poe wants probe into Binangonan boat incident
No date has been set for the Senate hearing.
