Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) — Senator Grace Poe is seeking an investigation into the boat mishap in Binangonan, Rizal and wants those responsible to be held accountable.
In a statement on Sunday, Poe said the loss of lives due to neglect should not be taken lightly.
“Nakagagalit at nakalulungkot itong nangyaring ito. Hindi biro ang pagkawala ng ganung karaming buhay dahil lang sa kapabayaan o baka sa pangungurakot. Kaya dapat nating alamin sa imbestigasyon,” she said.
“Dapat mapanagot kung sinuman ang responsable sa trahedyang ito,” she added.
[Translation: This incident is saddening and infuriating. The loss of that many lives due to negligence and maybe corruption is no joke. That’s why we must find out from the investigation.]
Poe is the chairman of the Senate committees on Economic Affairs and Public Services.
M/B Princess Aya left Binangonan at noon on Thursday en route to Barangay Gulod on Talim Island. The overloaded boat sank 45 minutes away from its destination, resulting in the death of 27 people.
On Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the search for missing passengers could be ended on Sunday.
Poe said she wants to find out why the boat was allowed to sail despite bad weather conditions and why it was overloaded with passengers.She also noted reports saying passengers had no life vests.
In a statement on Saturday, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said the PCG and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) should be held accountable for what happened.
“(Dalawampu’t pito) na buhay ang nasawi dahil sa lumubog na bangkang Princess Aya. Nangyari ito sapagkat naging pabaya na naman ang mga awtoridad tulad ng PCG at MARINA. Na gaya sa mga nakaraang trahedya sa karagatan, pinayagang maglagay ang lumubog na bangka kahit na masama ang panahon, overloaded at walang sapat na live vest dito,” he said.
[Translation: Twenty-seven lives were lost because of the sinking of the Princess Aya. This happened because authorities such as the PCG and MARINA were lax. Like in other sea tragedies, the boat was allowed to sail despite the bad weather, and it was overloaded and there were not enough life vests.]
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said the inquiry into the incident must be transparent.
“Parang sirang plaka ang sabihin na dapat magsilbing wake-up call ang pangyayaring ito sa mga kinauukulan sa pasasagawa ng masusing pagsusuri sa safety protocols at enforcement measures para hindi na maulit ito. Hindi katanggap-tanggap na may natutulog sa pagtupad ng kanilang tungkulin. Kaya dapat lamang na patawan sila ng kaukulang parusa,” he said in a statement on July 29.
