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Heads should roll, solon says of Basilan ferry fire

By Zaldy De Layola

March 31, 2023, 6:40 pm

<p><strong>MARITIME TRAGEDY.</strong> M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 runs aground after catching fire near Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan province while en route to Jolo, Sulu on Wednesday night (March 29, 2023). Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said liable parties should be made accountable in the latest maritime tragedy to hit the country that has claimed at least 29 lives. <em>(Contributed photo)</em></p>

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 Wednesday night (March 29, 2023). Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said liable parties should be made accountable in the latest maritime tragedy to hit the country that has claimed at least 29 lives. (Contributed photo)

MANILA – Anyone negligent should be held accountable for the deaths of 29 passengers of M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, which caught fire late Wednesday evening off the waters of Basilan province.

In a press statement on Friday, Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority should explain if the vessel was overloaded since such has always been the case in most of the previous maritime accidents.

Barzaga said he distinctly remembers the 2008 investigation of the Committee on Transportation into the sinking of M/V Princess of the Stars off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon in June 2008 at the height of a typhoon, claiming the lives of over 800 people "and now, this tragedy in Basilan happened."

The enactment into law of the Maritime Code measure was among the transportation panel's recommendations after its inquiry into the 2008 tragedy of the passenger ferry owned by Filipino shipping company Sulpicio Lines.

"What is the Coast Guard doing? If there were so many passengers, did they not check if the vessel was overloaded? Secondly, is there already an action to stop the shipping line from operating its other ferries on account of this incident?” Barzaga said.

Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh of Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan has said the ferry's manifest was inaccurate, which made it difficult for authorities to conduct search, rescue and retrieval operations.

She said the PCG record showed there were only 205 passengers. However, 195 people were already rescued, excluding the number of those who died, which means that the figures do not match.

Barzaga also lamented that the latest maritime incident happened in the wake of the sinking of M/T Princess Empress on Feb. 28 off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, causing a massive oil spill that has reached other provinces.

"We haven't even recovered yet from the oil spill incident and now, this happened. Here we go again," said the senior lawmaker.

Authorities are still looking into reports that the fire started from an air-conditioning unit.

M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 was en route to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City when it caught fire before midnight. (PNA)

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