The government is serious about taking over the operations of Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI), owners of the M/V Princess of the Stars that capsized off Romblon last month, killing hundreds of passengers and crewmen, many of whom remain missing.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the proposed takeover would depend on the results of the ongoing investigation of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) into the accident.
Ermita said the findings of the BMI, as well as the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), would serve as basis for the decision for a possible government takeover of SLI operations.
He said BMI and Marina could determine how the owners are managing SLI.
Ermita noted SLI has been involved in other major sea accidents in the past, notably the sinking of the Doña Paz in 1987 that claimed over 4,000 lives, making it the worst peacetime maritime disaster in the world.
Ermita said the investigation would reveal what steps had been taken to address the problems the company has faced in the past.
The Princess of the Stars sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon with some 850 people aboard two weeks ago.
The 24,000-ton vessel is sitting upside down on a reef off Sibuyan, part of its hull jutting out from the water. Only 57 survivors have been found and it is believed that most of the bodies are trapped inside the hull.
Coast Guard and Navy divers, assisted by US Navy frogmen, were trying to retrieve the bodies from the ship but the already slow-moving operation was suspended after it was discovered that the vessel was carrying a shipment of endosulfan, a toxic pesticide, which might leak into the water.
The BMI was tasked to investigate the incident while the Marina is conducting an audit of all SLI vessels to determine their seaworthiness.
“We definitely have to do something, to take a look at the recommendations and prevent this debacle from happening again,” Ermita said.
Ermita pointed out that President Arroyo and other officials are aware that taking over the operations of SLI would require an act of Congress, as stated by the Supreme Court.
Since Congress is currently not in session, Ermita said the executive has started discussing the possibility of taking over the operations of SLI with leaders of Congress.
Talk of a government takeover came following the suspension of SLI operations in the aftermath of the Princess of the Stars tragedy.
The proposal came during a recent Cabinet meeting and was discussed again in another meeting in Iloilo last Tuesday that was attended by Senators Manuel Roxas and Richard Gordon.
The discussions focused on the effects of the suspension of SLI’s operations.
Officials noted that SLI handles 40 percent of the shipment of cargo in the country so the order to ground all its vessels has adversely affected the transport of various goods.
The government then allowed SLI to resume operations, but only to transport cargo.
Ermita explained the decision to allow SLI to go on with cargo operations was based on economic concerns.
He said they cannot wait for Congress to resume session in July before taking action to address the issue.
President Arroyo has ordered Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza to talk to the owners of SLI to come up with an arrangement regarding the resumption of its cargo operations.
The meeting was supposed to be held yesterday afternoon and, according to Ermita, was meant to work out the mechanics of government supervision.
Ermita said the government would be deploying safety marshals on board SLI cargo ships to ensure compliance with maritime safety rules.
No decision has been made yet about the resumption of SLI’s passenger transport operations.
The President was in Cebu City yesterday where she attended a Mass for the victims of the Princess of the Stars tragedy.
Over 2,500 people, mostly relatives of the victims, attended the Mass held at the Cebu City sports complex.
It was reported that Mrs. Arroyo personally handed out envelopes containing P10,000 in cash to some 30 individuals, relatives of the victims who were able to present the appropriate documents to concerned authorities.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development is expected to release more funds to the other victims’ families.
Most of the passengers on board the ill-fated ferry were from Cebu.