Wednesday, July 02, 2008 Speak out: Blaming game By Jessica Banzon-Natad
TIME and again, painful tragedies, like the recent sinking of mv Princess of the Stars that claimed hundreds of lives and left hundreds more missing, remind us that life on earth is fleeting and that anyone may vanish into thin air in a flick of a hand.
But while we believe that the end is part of the script of life, we must remember that life is a gift, a present that must be taken cared of.
Horrible incidents can be avoided if we all do our part.
Pointing fingers at each other happens because no one wants to take the blame.
And like all the other tragedies whose lessons we never take seriously, everybody washes his/her hands off issues.
But who should be blamed when sea vessels, sea-worthy or not, sink or meet other sea-related incidents due to typhoons or other factors?
Who is to be blamed for the sinking of mv Princess of the Stars? The passengers? The captain of the ship? Sulpicio Lines? Or the government, in this case, the Coast Guard and Marina.
Analyzing the situation, I would like to put everything else aside—conscience, religious beliefs, educational background, fears, and all other factors--and look at this objectively.
I can't blame the passengers because, based on our own experience, we are always time-conscious, especially when we are away from home.
We always want to be in our destination at our target day and time. Thus, if an authority says you sail, passengers will push through with the trip.
What about the ship captain? Of course, he could have erred because he is but human. And although he may have studied typhoons in school, this is not his expertise. Sailing a ship is.
He may have thought he could maneuver the ship but was truly helpless against nature.
Sulpicio Lines? Some may pin the blame on the shipping company, but I wouldn't (although, partly, they share the responsibility.) Shipping companies exist to do business.
Dealing with typhoons is not the company's expertise. Business is. And they will continue to do business, if the regulatory body tells them to.
This boils down to one thing: That the protagonists all have their roles and expertise to play.
I therefore conclude that, whoever is the expert on typhoons and whoever is mandated to guard the sea should hold the major responsibility.
