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By Jefferson Antiporda Reporter
VICE President Noli de Castro
vowed to file charges against officials who were remiss in their
duties in ensuring the safety of the MV Princess of the Star, which
capsized Saturday.
At the same time the government
also ordered a review of the Philippine Coast Guard’s 10-year-old
warning system.
In a teleconference call Sunday
with members of the National Disaster Coordinating Council,
President Gloria Arroyo became upset when she couldn’t get a
direct answer from the coast guard why the ship was allowed to sail
on Friday, despite its warning. The President is in the United
States, leaving de Castro in charge.
The Vice President said he and
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita are already talking about how to
improve coast guard policies.
MV Princess of the Star, owned by
Sulpicio Lines, capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon after
encountering huge waves caused Typhoon Frank. It was en route to
Cebu.
The vessel left Manila on Friday,
hours before the coast guard received an advisory placing the
provinces of Romblon and Marinduque under storm signal number 3.
A coast guard official explained
in a radio interview Sunday that the ship would have arrived safely
in Cebu, had it not experienced engine trouble off Romblon. The ship
was adrift when the typhoon struck the area.
According to coast guard
guidelines, all types of vessels may be allowed to leave port when
there is signal number one, if the ship’s captain decides to do
so. When there is signal number 2, no vessels below 2,000 gross tons
are allowed to sail. And when in signal numbers 3 or 4, no ship is
allowed to sail.
Because MV Princess of the Star
weighs about 23,000 gross tons, it was allowed to sail Friday
because the storm warnings were not yet severe enough.
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