Monday, August 11, 2008 Cuenco asks for BMI report By Katrina A. Balmaceda Sun.Star Correspondent
THERE’S something “fishy” about a delayed report on the sinking of the Princess of the Stars, if you ask Rep. Antonio Cuenco.
The Cebu City south district representative said in a press conference yesterday that he will “urge, even demand” Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Men-doza to show Congress the findings of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) on the June 21 tragedy.
He said this in front of Hannilyn Garces and Ruel Javier, relatives of Princess of the Stars victims who have come to stand as representatives of the bereaved families in Cebu.
The BMI reportedly finished its investigation nearly a month ago.
“So it is very strange why, until now, Mendoza has not, will not release the BMI report,” Cuenco said.
He expressed his fear that there may be “massaging” being done to spare the owners and management of Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) from blame.
“Something is fishy; something is rotten because of the undue delay,” Cuenco said. He added that if Mendoza still fails to submit the report to Congress, they may resort to issuing a subpoena.
Cuenco said that the congressional investigation on the accident is stalled because they are waiting for the report.
The report, according to Cuenco, will shed light on whether the ship’s engine had conked out and if its power supply had gone off.
It will also answer questions on how seaworthy the vessel really was.
Cuenco said the report will help them know whom to blame, saying that the captain alone cannot be held liable because of decisions coming from the ship owners and management.
If the BMI report proves negligence on the part of SLI, Cuenco vowed he would support the petition of at least 18 families who have asked the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to cancel SLI’s franchise to ferry passengers.
“If there is a finding of negligence, they have no business carrying people,” the congressman said.
And if this is so, he will push for the cancellation of SLI ships’ certification of public convenience.
The congressman told Garces and Javier that he intends to meet with the Public Attorney’s Office representatives (PAO) in order to aid victims’ relatives among his constituents who want to file civil and criminal suits against SLI, even if they signed a quitclaim.
“The quitclaim is illegal. You can only waive your rights if it’s not against the law, morals, customs, public order and public policy,” Cuenco said.
Garces, who is on her last year in college, lost her parents in the sea tragedy. She told Sun.Star Cebu she will file a suit against SLI, saying the insurance money she received was not enough to put her two little brothers through elementary, high school and college.
Javier has not yet field a suit but is coordinating with and assisting families to do so.
Cuenco added that he already submitted a bill asking that the power to issue franchises for ships be returned to Congress.
He claimed that Marina is “very lax” when it comes to selecting crew and assessing a vessel’s seaworthiness.
He added that he will also take Pagasa (the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) to task for failing to buy proper, updated equipment even after Congress gave it P200 million to purchase a radar four years ago. (KAB)
