The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) on Tuesday allowed the Sulpicio Lines passenger ship, MV Princess of the South, to sail from Manila to Cebu.  This is the first Sulpicio passenger ship to be cleared for operation after the Marina suspended the company’s franchise on recommendation of the Board of Marine Inquiry that investigated the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars.
The MV Princess of the South is a sister-ship the MV Princess of the Stars.  The latter sank off the coast of Sibuyan Island in Romblon at the height of Typhoon Frank on June 21, 2008.  More than 800 of her passengers were confirmed to have died, but only 300 bodies were recovered. Only 50 passengers were known to have survived.

The Marina’s laxity in doing its job as the principal government agency tasked to regulate commercial shipping in our country has been widely criticized by the citizenry, especially relatives of those who have suffered in the many sinking tragedies of Sulpicio.

Experts and lawmakers have been calling for the abolition of the Marina and the summary removal of its officials.

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has waged a legal battle to have Sulpicio Lines held accountable for the injuries and deaths in the sinking of its ships.

On August 27, 2008, the Board of Marine Inquiry’s investigation into the tragedy of the MV Princess of the Stars ended.  The BMI’s main recommendation was for the Marina to indefinitely suspend the franchise of Sulpicio Lines Inc.  The BMI had found that the shipping company had allowed the Princess of the Stars to sail despite the typhoon weather.  The BMI also found the ship’s captain “negligent” in the performance of his duties.

Subsequently Sulpicio Lines vessels were forbidden to operate. But later the Marina allowed Sulpicio’s cargo vessels to ply their usual routes.

The Marina cleared the Princess of the South, said Administrator Maria Elena Bautista, because Sulpicio had complied with all the requirements of the Board of Marine Inquiry.

In last Tuesday’s Princess of the South trip to Cebu 200 Marina and Philippine Coast Guard personnel, said an Inquirer report, accompanied the crew “to make sure the crew understands safety procedures.”  There was only one passenger.  The ship can legally carry 1,334 people (passengers and crew) but Sulpicio ships have been known to carry much more than their legal and safe capacities.

The Inquirer report on Thursday said the Marina could clear two more Sulpicio Lines ships to take in passengers next week.

Victims’ families protest

The Marina decision to allow Sulpicio to relaunch passenger voyages drew protests from relatives of those who suffered and died in the Princess of the Stars tragedy.  These staged a demonstration at the Marina’s office.

They expressed their dismay over Marina Administrator Bautista’s decision to allow Sulpicio to operate Princess of the South. 

The United Filipino Seafarers’ (UFS) President Nelson Ramirez wrote a formal complaint expressing the protestors’ views to the Marina. His letter questions the decision to clear the Princess of the South. 

But another union—of Sulpicio Lines Inc. employees belonging to the Associated Labor Unions—Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), according to the Inquirer report, “said they were happy that laid off workers would get their jobs back, especially stewards and messmen.”
This is the sad reality of the shipping industry situation in the Philippines,

The government cannot insist on being firm with shipping companies like Sulpicio Lines—which has an incredible track record of tragedies and near tragedies and which investigators have found to have committed violations of safety regulations—because stopping these companies’ from operating their ships will result in loss of jobs. 

Increasing the unemployed population will mean worsening the poverty situation.  As it is one estimate places the unemployed at one-third of the working age population.

Once more we have here literally a case of being between the devil and the deep blue sea.