Following disaster Marina suspends all 2GO, PSACC vessels

CEBU, Philippines - The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) yesterday ordered all ships of Sulpicio Lines and 2G0 Shipping Lines grounded following the deadly mishap at Lawis Ledge off Talisay City Friday evening that left at least 31 people dead and 172 missing as of 2 p.m.

Marina chief Maximo Mejia Jr. said the ships were suspended so they can be inspected by the authorities.

The Marina immediately started an investigation after passenger ship MV St. Thomas Aquinas sank following a collision with cargo vessel Sulpicio Express Siete in waters near the seaport of Talisay City.

Mejia, meanwhile, said that they have already checked the papers of the two ships and “found all certificates are in order.”

“There is no reason to believe that the incident has anything to do with questions of stability of structural integrity of the ships,” he said.

However, he said that all of the ships of the two companies should still be subjected to rigid inspection to ensure their trustworthiness.

“It was also decided that the immediate inspection be reinforced by a suspension order of all the ships belonging to the two companies and many of these ships are still out at sea but the directive is for these ships be immediately inspected as soon as they arrive in port,” Mejia said.

He said he has instructed all Marina regional chiefs to lead the inspection of the ships.

Mejia said that further investigations will be conducted to determine which ship was responsible for the mishap.

MARINA-7 spokesperson Jose Cabatingan confirmed to have already received the directive from Manila.

The said directive also ordered the respective regional directors to detain (the vessels) those found to have major deficiencies.

Cabatingan said the Maritime Crisis Management Committee in Manila was already convened in relation to the latest maritime disaster.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has started setting up a fact-finding body that will look into the collision.

Rear Admiral Luis Tuason Jr., PCG vice commandant for operations, said the Special Board of Marine Inquiry (SBMI) will determine the reasons behind the collision.

“Inihahanda na rin ang Special Board of Marine Inquiry para pagkatapos ng search and rescue operations ay kaagad na maumpisahan ang investigation kung bakit nagkabanggaan samantalang mayroon namang traffic separation scheme patungo at palabas ng channel papunta sa port of Cebu,” Tuason said in a radio interview.

 Tuason added that the PCG has also started preparing an oil spill boom. He said the PCG personnel deployed in the area have observed that oil is already leaking out of the ill-fated ferry. — Philippine Star News Service, Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, and Edwin Ian Melecio/FPL (FREEMAN)