Maritime disasters will be GMA legacy - Plaza

MANILA, Philippines - Maritime disasters with hundreds of lives lost and thousands of children left orphaned will be the legacy of the Arroyo administration if heads do not roll immediately at the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and other agencies in charge of safety in sea transport, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino-United Opposition (PMP-UNO) senatorial candidate Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza said.

Plaza aired anew his call for the resignation of Marina administrator and Transportation Undersecretary Elena “Len” Bautista after two passenger vessels collided off the coast of Southern Leyte last Monday.

“Blood is on President Arroyo’s hands. Her refusal to even slap the wrist of her officials in the face of criminal neglect to do their duties in ensuring safety in public transport shows she does not care about the lives lost and thousands of children left orphaned by the sea tragedies,” Plaza said.

Last year alone, Plaza said more than 10 sea tragedies occurred, resulting in 37 fatalities and 77 missing and presumed dead.

“Getting on board a ship must stop being a traumatic experience for many Filipinos who travel by sea primarily because they cannot afford to buy plane tickets or just happen to work in vessels. We should stop calling these mass transport vessels as ‘floating coffins,’” Plaza said.