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Friday, August 08, 2008
Don't trust Sulpicio, Marina: Cebu mayor
CEBU CITY -- Business leaders welcomed Thursday the clearance given to two passenger-cargo vessels of Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) to resume operations, more than a month since these were grounded after the MV Princess of the Stars sank.
Carlos Co and Robert Go, both past presidents of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said the resumption of operations will relieve business owners and workers who have suffered from the lack of inter-island transportation.
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The vessels are expected to sail again Saturday. The jobs of those who work in the arrastre and trucking services, among others, will also be revived, Go added.
The fate of the other six Sulpicio vessels that were grounded will be known on Monday, when the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Board will meet again and evaluate the findings of the second audit team, said Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr.
Related stories:
Marina lifts ban on 2 of 8 Sulpicio ships
Ban on Sulpicio ‘hurting Cebu’
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, however, said the public should not rely on either the Marina or the shipping company.
"Stay home until the weather clears because the risk is much, much higher, if the weather is bad. Do not rely on the Marina, do not rely on Sulpicio," the mayor said.
"It is the same management that allowed these violations to happen. Is Marina going to audit all these ships every week, every month? What changes are being done by Sulpicio to make its vessels safer?"
Sail anytime
Fewer than 60 crew and passengers survived when the Princess of the Stars ran aground off Romblon last June 21, at the height of typhoon Frank. More than 200 bodies have so far been sent to Cebu, but over 500 others remain missing.
As part of procedure, the SLI's vessels were grounded after the accident, for inspection.
Osmeña criticized the "lack of transparency" on how Marina decided to clear the two vessels.
Meanwhile, Marina 7 Director Glenn Cabañez said he already renewed the Ship Safety Certificates of the MV Princess of the Earth and MV Cotabato Princess, which expired while SLI's passenger-cargo vessels' operations were suspended.
These two vessels can now sail again anytime, he said.
According to Cabañez, the Princess of the Earth will ply the Cebu-Butuan-Cebu route, while the Cotabato Princess will operate from Manila and stop by the ports of Estancia, Iloilo, Zamboanga and Cotabato, then vice versa.
"I was informed that the two vessels will sail again starting Saturday (Aug. 9) yet, because the shipping lines are still accepting bookings," Cabañez said.
Cargo only
Under its franchise, both vessels are allowed to carry both cargo and passengers.
However, Sulpicio Lines port captain Nestor Ponteres told dyLA radio that the two vessels will not yet carry passengers when these resume sailing Saturday, because the order lifting the suspension is not specific.
Ponteres said they are waiting for the instruction from Marina on whether or not they are allowed to carry passengers.
Cabañez, however, told Sun.Star Cebu that the Princess of the Earth and Cotabato Princess are only allowed to carry cargo for now.
Ponteres also told dyLA radio that they will rehire the officers and crew of the two vessels but not the stewards, because they are not yet carrying passengers.
Sulpicio Lines has 13 passenger-cargo vessels but aside from the eight vessels covered by Marina's audit, the other vessels were dry-docked for major repairs or reconditioning.
Two other vessels, the mv Cebu Princess and Tacloban Princess, have not yet been inspected because these are being used for the retrieval operations off Romblon.
"We want these two vessels fumigated before the team will conduct the re-audit because these were loaded with several dozens of cadavers bound for Cebu," Suazo said.
At City Hall, however, Osmeña said passenger safety is everybody's concern, which is why he wants to call attention to what he considers a lack of concern on management's part.
He told a press conference that he understood the economic considerations behind the Marina's action, "but I'm deeply concerned about the safety of passengers."
His advice to ship passengers: Don't take your chances.
"If the weather is safe, it is good. If the weather is bad, no matter what the captain says, don't believe the captain," the mayor said. (EOB/RHM/Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (August 8, 2008 issue)
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