EDITORIAL – Where are the laws?

Politicians are again jumping into the fray as the search continues for the more than 800 people on board the ferry Princess of the Stars, which capsized off Romblon at the height of typhoon “Frank” last Saturday. Lawmakers are debating whether or not to conduct their own probe into the latest tragedy to hit a ship of Sulpicio Lines. Going by the record of Congress, they should save themselves the trouble and focus on more fruitful pursuits.

A report put together by abs-cbnNEWS.com/ Newsbreak showed that since the Eighth Congress, which conducted an inquiry into the collision of the ferry Doña Paz and oil tanker Vector that left more than 4,000 people dead, no piece of legislation on the maritime industry has been passed.

This was not for any lack of initiative. Since the Eighth Congress up to the present one, bills and resolutions have been filed and deliberated upon to improve maritime safety and tighten regulation of the industry. As often happens in the legislative mill, however, the initiative flags as soon as the issue disappears from the headlines and TV cameras move on to committees tackling the controversy of the day.

Back in the Eighth Congress, the resolution adopted by the Senate called for the integration of the agencies involved in ensuring safety in sea transportation — the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority and Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey — under a Maritime Safety Commission. To this day the PPA, PCG and the Maritime Industry Authority still routinely engage in finger-pointing when a ship sinks. And to this day ship owners still take refuge in old laws to evade punishment for possible negligence in the deaths of ship passengers and crew. Sulpicio Lines, which also owned the Doña Paz and two other ferries that figured in major disasters – the Princess of the Orient and Doña Marilyn — has not suffered even a suspension of its franchise.

Now lawmakers are again making noises about conducting an inquiry into the Princess of the Stars disaster. As soon as 59 congressmen are back from their junket in the United States, we are sure to hear more noise from the chamber in connection with the tragedy. If only lawmakers could produce something more than hot air, all their opinions would be appreciated.