Wednesday, March 12, 2008 (Philippines)

CURIOUS BOYS view the scene of the accident, a column of the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge. Inset: Lt(jg) Lejanie Dy of the Philippine Coast Guard briefs members of the bridge board on Monday night’s incident in the office of Gov. Gwen Garcia, who called the emergency meeting. (Sun.Star Photos/Allan Cuizon; Inset, Ruel Rosello) THE Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) wants the owner of the tanker that hit a column of the Marcelo Fernan bridge last Monday night to pay. Even if structural damage is not severe, the board wants the owner to pay for the “sleepless nights” that members of the board will suffer, thinking about the damage to the structure. The damage to the eight-year-old bridge is not that serious and there is no need to close it to traffic, a public works official said. The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Coast Guard are pursuing the tanker, reportedly now in Cagayan de Oro City. They have yet to establish what caused the accident, how it happened and what liabilities can be pinned on the shipping firm. [full story]