Ocean Jet's trip delayed for 4 hrs; DTI-7 director blames MARINA

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  — At least a hundred passengers of Ocean Jet in this city bound for Tagbilaran City in Bohol were stranded yesterday when its trip was delayed for four hours due to the failure of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to issue a clearance on time.

One of the passengers stranded was Department of Trade and Industry-7 regional director Aster Caberte. She was on her way to Bohol to distribute computers for selected high schools as part of the agency's project.

Caberte, whose scheduled activity in Bohol was affected due to the delay, complained that MARINA should have given a clearance to Ocean Jet earlier.

The MARINA office in Dumaguete was closed and the one assigned there was on leave. The Bohol trip was supposed to be 7 a.m. but the clearance arrived at almost 11 a.m.

Caberte told The FREEMAN she found out that the MARINA office in Dumaguete is open only on Wednesdays to Fridays.

Another group of affected passengers were 54 members of the First Farmers Association who came from Talisay City in Negros Occidental to take the Bohol trip from Dumaguete.

The same Ocean Jet vessel had another story the night before, at 8:30 p.m. of June 16, Thursday, when its engine suddenly conked out as it was about to dock the Dumaguete port.

Coast Guard-Dumaguete head, Lt. Commander Agapito Bibat told The FREEMAN his office got a radio call from the vessel informing that its emergency shut-off valve was accidentally shut off by a passenger, causing the main and auxiliary engines to stop.

Bibat said this prompted the CG to get a tug boat, which towed the fastcraft safely into the port at about 11:05 p.m. He said no one has filed a complaint against the vessel; because what happened was an accident. 

The emergency shut-off valve is located under the first seat of the passenger area. (FREEMAN)