MARITIME TRAGEDY. M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 runs aground after catching fire near Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan province while en route to Jolo, Sulu on March 29, 2023. Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman on Tuesday (April 4) said he will file a resolution seeking a congressional inquiry into the fire incident. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman on Tuesday said he will file a resolution seeking a congressional inquiry into the fire incident that struck the M/V Mary Joy 3 on March 29 off the waters of Basilan when Congress resumes session after the Lenten break.
Hataman wants an investigation, in aid of legislation, to know the circumstances surrounding the ferry fire that claimed the lives of 31 passengers and injured several others.
He said he is also seeking a review of related maritime laws, common carrier statutes and other operational rules and regulations applicable to sea vessels carrying passengers and cargo, in the hope of crafting legislation to strengthen laws and regulations protecting passengers.
“Nais nating malaman kung ano ba ang pinagmulan ng trahedyang ito. Saan nagsimula ang sunog? Sino o ano ang responsable? Bakit hindi naagapan agad? Bakit kulang sa response ang mga kawani ng barko? Seaworthy ba ang ferry? At bakit umabot sa lagpas tatlumpo ang namatay (We want to know what caused this tragedy. Who are responsible? Why they failed to stop it. Why there was lack of adequate response among the ship crews. Was the ferry seaworthy? And why did the fatalities reach 31?),” Hataman said in a statement.
“Higit sa lahat, nais nating malaman kung paano ito ma-iiwasan sa susunod (Most importantly, we want to know how it can be avoided). Are the laws and regulations concerning sea vessels ferrying passengers not enough to protect our passengers? Or does the problem emanate from their implementation?” he added.
Similarly, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament member Amir Mawallil and Deputy Speaker Laisa Masuhud Alamia filed a joint resolution Friday seeking an inquiry into the ferry fire.
Bangsamoro Transition Authority Resolution No. 209 aims to determine the adequacy of the safety measures and protocols in place for sea travel within the region. Eventually, they will craft legislation that will strengthen existing policies.
“While we grieve with the families of those lost in the tragic ferry fire, we in the BARMM government should also make sure we take steps to ensure that this incident does not happen again,” said Mawallil, who hails from Tawi-Tawi.
M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, a vessel operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc., was en route to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City when it caught fire off the shores of Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan.
Joint search and rescue operations were immediately launched by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy and the Bureau of Fire Protection, along with local government personnel.
“Hanggang ngayon, marami pang pasahero ang patuloy na hinahanap ng Coast Guard (Until now, the Coast Guard is still looking for more (missing) passengers). Many are still unaccounted for. We owe it to their families that these missing passengers are found. At marapat lamang na gumawa tayo ng hakbang para hindi ito maulit (And it is proper that we do steps to prevent its recurrence),” Hataman said.
He also noted complaints about the alleged lack of appropriate and sufficient response from Aleson Shipping Lines, especially in assisting the victims and their families.
There is also a discrepancy between the official manifest of passengers of the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 as released by Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. and the report released by the PCG.
“We hope to ascertain and clarify all of these once a congressional inquiry is undertaken. If these can be addressed by legislation, we will do so in Congress. If this is a problem in implementation, we should address it,” Hataman said.
“We should make the inquiry as comprehensive as possible to plug all the holes in legislation and in implementation,” he added.
Oil spill
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in an interview on Tuesday that no stone will be left unturned in the government investigation into the sinking of oil tanker M/T Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28.
He said charges are possible against regulatory officials, including those from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
“No one will escape scrutiny when it comes to this,” he added. “We are asking them to cooperate fully with us. It’s a crime against the environment. It is a crime against the Filipino people. A lot of people should be held accountable.”
He said the ship owner, insurance company, and other possible fund sources will have to be investigated so that they can compensate the country.
“We have to work with a very small budget to be able to fix this oil spill. And it’s going to take years for us to recover from this,” Remulla said.
The Philippine Space Agency is verifying a recent map from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that showed traces of the oil spill are reaching Coron, Palawan. (With a report from Benjamin Pulta/PNA)
