Saturday, June 28, 2008 Roperos: Pity the Coast Guard By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
THERE'S this naughty Cebuano saying “bastardized” into an English language joke. It goes something like this: “Ang inyong kabuang sa lawas ra ninyo pauli.” (Your foolishness will go home to your body.)
No, I do not mean to make a joke on the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). It has suffered enough public battering already as a result of the mv Princess of the Stars tragedy. But the travail the PCG has gone through the past few days is no longer a joke, and is not its fault, really.
That is, if we consider government neglect of its facilities and equipment. How, indeed, can any public instrumentality perform the functions it is expected to do if it does not have the things needed to perform them with?
But this is essentially what the PCG’s situation is nationwide, if we are to believe its spokesman’s lament. It seems that up to now the PCG has been using “antiquated two-way radio system and the ubiquitous cellular phones to communicate with ships at sea.”
There was a time in 1999, according to the spokesman, when the PCG could have acquired a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) that could monitor vessels route and conditions. But legal problems arose and prevented the PCG from pursuing the project.
This is a case of government neglect that eventually cost the country hundreds of lives whose loss could have been prevented or saved from tragic circumstances, like what happened to Princess of the Stars.
The report said that because of this latest tragedy at sea, the PCG commandant has renewed his appeal for authorities secure a GMDSS in view of “its importance to an archipelagic country.” This is quite ridiculous and laughable against a reality we have already known all along.
It is instead tragic, and should raise public umbrage “on the higher authorities” for making light of the heavy responsibilities and obligations of the PCG. Had they purchased the equipment the PCG needed, loss of lives would have been prevented.
Perhaps, one lesson “higher authorities” should keep in mind is that every time they play red tape or purposely delay purchases of equipment, they should think of the lives that might possibly be lost due to such “legal impediment” unduly imposed because of disagreement on “ten percent overprice or kickback.”
This is a possibility that might be behind the failure to close the deal on the GMDSS many years ago.
