Friday, July 25, 2008 Lifting of order ‘hinges on re-audit’
THE resumption of operations of Sulpicio Lines Inc. passenger vessels will depend on how the company corrected deficiencies uncovered in a recent inspection, said Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, meanwhile, said he asked President Arroyo not to allow resumption of Sulpicio operations until its management is changed. The president, however, already made up her mind to allow the vessels to operate again, Osmeña said.
Yesterday, Suazo clarified that contrary to a report of a local newspaper (not Sun.Star Cebu), cargo vessels of Sulpicio Lines are not grounded and continue to transport cargo.
Suazo said only the company’s passenger-cargo vessels, which are also the Roll-on-Roll-off (Roro) type, were grounded for audit and evaluation.
Of Sulpicio’s 14 Roro vessels, only 12 are not allowed to sail because the other two, mv Cebu Princess and mv Filipina Princess, are being used in the retrieval of bodies
of victims of the mv Princess of the Stars sinking.
Order
“I am just complying with instructions. I already prepared an order that I will fill up once the team that conducted the re-audit on the Sulpicio vessels submits their recommendation,” Suazo said.
The other day, Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said President Arroyo wanted eight of the company’s 14 passenger-cargo vessels to resume operations next week.
The eight vessels were specified because Sulpicio owners informed Arroyo during her meeting with shipping industry stakeholders that their deficiencies have been corrected.
But Suazo said that if only three of the eight vessels will pass the re-audit, then only the three will be allowed to resume operations.
“I cannot decide alone. I leave it to the auditors. I let them sign a certification that they religiously conducted the audit so I will not be blamed if I recommend for the resumption of operation of the Sulpicio passenger-cargo vessels and it is later found that the defects are still there,” Suazo said.
Mendoza said the Marina Board, which he chairs, has been meeting every Monday since last month to monitor progress on the investigation of the Sulpicio tragedy and find solutions to problems in the shipping industry.
The board is composed of representatives from different government agencies, including the Office of the President.
Recommendation
But Suazo said that because the President will deliver her state of the nation address (SONA) on Monday, the Marina Board will be able to meet either on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss recommendation of the auditors.
In Cebu City Hall, Osmeña said he asked President Arroyo not to allow Sulpicio vessels to sail again unless its management is changed.
“I told her what I think but she said Sulpicio will already be allowed to operate their cargo (vessels) while the investigation is still going on. She did not specify if passenger vessels are included, I’m just assuming,” Osmeña told Sun.Star Cebu.
The mayor said the President told him that Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) also recommended the same thing.
“But never mind. I’m just saying that as far as I’m concerned, Sulpicio is not safe and I have a moral obligation to warn Cebuanos about that,” he added.
During the inauguration of the City Hall Legislative Building yesterday morning (see related story), Arroyo had the chance to meet some of the International Police (Interpol) officials assisting in the identification of the victims of the sinking of mv Princess of the Stars.
Donation
The President repeatedly thanked the Interpol for their help and for donating thousands of DNA kits and the mobile morgue that will be used for the identification process.
The morgue is expected to arrive on Aug. 4 at the Cebu International Port, where disaster victim identification experts from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Interpol will process some 500 bodies that will be retrieved from the sunken vessel.
“She personally thank-ed the Interpol for the mobile morgue. This the first time she was able to personally interact with them,” Police Regional Office 7 Director Ronald Roderos told reporters. He accompanied the Interpol officials to City Hall.
Roderos said several matters were not discussed during their conversation, particularly the P1.2 million needed for the mobile morgue supplies and equipment.
Osmeña refused to shoulder the expenses when the Interpol sought the City’s help, but Roderos said they have already requested the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to foot the bill.
The request was sent to NDCC yesterday and they have yet to receive a reply, he said. (EOB/LCR)
