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By Anthony Vargas Reporter
The probe on the MV Princess of
the Stars tragedy was stalled anew on Wednesday, as the Board of
Marine Inquiry prepared to answer the petition for a temporary
restraining order (TRO) filed by the Sulpicio Lines Inc. before a
Manila Regional Trial Court.
Likewise, Del Monte Philippines
Inc. has threatened to file a counter suit against Sulpicio Lines,
which owns the ill-fated vessel.
The shipping company has sought a
TRO against the board’s probe on the sea tragedy, contending that
the Maritime Industry Authority has the sole jurisdiction over
shipping companies and operators.
This is the second time that the
inquiry board postponed its hearing despite a directive issued by
President Gloria Arroyo to finish its probe in 15 days and to punish
those responsible for the sea tragedy.
The board postponed its hearing
on Tuesday after two of its members—Captain Benjamin Mata and
Commodore Amado Romillo—inhibited themselves from the probe.
Mata, the vice chairman of the
board, and Romillo decided to inhibit themselves after Sulpicio
accused them of issuing bias statements against the shipping company
during a recent Congressional hearing.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the
rest of the board panel, led by its chairman, Rear Admiral Ramon
Liwag, were meeting to prepare for their appearance before the
Manila court.
“They [panel members] are on a
closed door meeting and asked not to be disturbed,” a board staff
said.
Del Monte threatens to counter
Del Monte said that it is
considering filing a counter suit against the shipping firm, which
had earlier filed a multimillion-peso damage against the
Mindanao-based food company.
Sulpicio filed a damage suit
against Del Monte on Tuesday for alleged misdeclaration of the
endosulfan cargo that was loaded into the ill-fated passenger
vessel.
Del Monte General Manager Cito
Alejandro said in a hastily called press conference that their
company is now studying legal options against the shipping firm.
Alejandro questioned Sulpicio’s
damage suit and branded it as “baseless.”
The discovery of the endosulfan
aboard the cargo hold of the ill-fated vessel has prompted disaster
officials to temporary halt recovery and relief efforts, and to
impose a fishing ban off the waters of Romblon were the vessels
capsized at the height of Typhoon Frank. Monte mulls counter suit
against the shipping firm
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