GMA threatens revamp of negligent Coast Guard

Shape up or be shipped out.

President Arroyo ordered yesterday Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officials to improve their performance and ensure safe sea travel or be relieved from their posts.

Meanwhile, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) is seriously considering raising the penalty on erring shippers to P100,000 from the present P20,000 in a bid to make them toe the line.

The President issued the ultimatum even as she directed the filing of charges against PCG personnel found guilty of negligence of duty resulting in last Saturday’s sinking of a ferry off Biliran province, killing 19 passengers with scores still missing.

In a radio interview, Mrs. Arroyo impressed upon the PCG officials led by Vice Adm. Reuben Lista that a recurrence of the tragedy, that has been traced to overloading, would be dealt with accordingly.

"With every additional accident which should not be taking place, of course, the command responsibility goes higher and higher," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The five PCG personnel cited for negligence of duty allegedly gave the green light to the ill-fated ferry M/B Nilode despite the fact that it was overloaded.

For his part, Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez directed the PCG yesterday to strictly enforce all maritime rules and regulations and safety regulations aboard ships plying inter-island routes.

"It seems these ship owners, operators, officers and crew members have not fully complied with their obligation to strictly enforce these rules and regulations, particularly pertaining to the safety of passengers," he said.

Alvarez added he would throw the book at any PCG officer of personnel who fail to do their duty to make Philippine seas safe for travel.

Shipowners, operators and crew found to be negligent will also be punished in full according to law, he said.

The Biliran sea mishap came exactly one month after another ferry, the MV Maria Carmela, caught fire off Lucena City, leaving at least 72 people dead or missing.

Investigators held the Carmela skipper responsible for the tragedy while the ship’s owner, the Montenegro Shipping Lines, was held liable for the inadequacy of life vests and training of the crew members in handling sea accidents.

The President indicated that she would not hesitate to relieve PCG officials if they failed to impose disciplinary action on the erring personnel.

Survivors and relatives of the fatalities in the accident were set to file criminal cases against the owner of M/B Nilode and the PCG officials.

The President was particularly irked by allegations of certain PCG officials that they could not be efficient due to lack of funds and the clipping of their regulatory powers.

"I don’t know what regulatory powers were stripped from them. But I could not see the reason why would they allow 130 people to ride in a supposedly 30-seat capacity boat," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The President, accompanied by Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman and Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, flew to Biliran yesterday to condole with the families and relatives of the victims.

"The stiffer penalty is to make them learn," said Marina Administrator Oscar Sevilla.

As envisioned by Marina, the second offense would be punishable by suspension, while the third offense would mean revocation of license to operate a passenger vessel.

Marina is also set to ask Congress for the authority to administer licensure examinations to seamen and other allied workers.

"Based on our experience, 80 percent of sea accidents were due to human error. Apparently, crewmen were not trained well," Sevilla noted.

The Marina regional office in Tacloban City is also preparing charges against the owner of M/B Nilode.

Marina regional director Venancio Vero told The STAR that although they do not have jurisdiction over the PCG, they could go after the owners of ferries and other sea vessels.

M/B Nilode owner Alfredo Malanan admitted that his boat was overloaded when it set sail on Saturday, but added the disaster could have been avoided had the PCG prevented it from leaving.

Malanan said he also lost his wife in the accident.

Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina, asked Alvarez to relieve the PCG chiefs in Cebu and Tacloban under the principle of command responsibility over the disaster.

"They should be held accountable to this tragedy," Espina stressed.

In a related development, Marina said it has found the owners of M/V Carmela guilty of negligence that led to the fire that swept the boat last month, killing 28 passengers.

Testifying before the committee House committee on transportation and communications yesterday, Marina director Romeo Gagui said Montenegro Shipping was negligent and would be facing criminal charges.

Gagui said the Board of Marine Inquiry is finalizing its report on the accident and would soon file the appropriate charges.

Gagui said the fire that razed the ship started from an area where sacks of copra were loaded.

He said the exact cause of the fire is still being determined, although probers theorized that it could have been ignited by a recklessly thrown cigarette, though the copra could have also burned due to excessive heat.

He also surmised that the fire could have been triggered by truck drivers cooking their food aboard their respective vehicles. – Marichu Villanueva, Jess Diaz, Jose Aravilla