Ticking environmental time bomb

Congressmen have finally found a justification to conduct their inquiry “in aid of legislation” into the tragic sinking of Sulpicio’s MV Princess of the Stars in the Sibuyan Sea at the height of typhoon “Frank’s” fury last June 21. Out of this tragedy, our wise lawmakers are now saying they would transfer to Congress the power to issue franchises for passenger vessels that is currently in the jurisdiction of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

To do this, some congressmen have filed bills to amend Republic Act 9295 or the Domestic Shipping Development Act of 2004. This is the law that granted power and authority to MARINA to issue certificates of public convenience to qualified ship operators. This law is obviously less than four years old, as it was passed by the 13th Congress.

From their inquiry into the latest sea accident of Sulpicio, questions on credibility and integrity reportedly prompted these lawmakers to propose this bright idea to transfer the authority to grant franchise to domestic shipping operators from MARINA to the hands of Congress. Vicente Suazo Jr. is the head of MARINA. I don’t know this guy from Adam but I would like to hear from him what he thinks of this proposal by our congressmen.

If we follow the logic of this proposal, then why did we not hear the congressmen also raising the question of credibility and integrity of Congress after the Lopez-owned giant ABS-CBN TV network figured in the “Wowowee” stampede where more than 70 people died. It is Congress which approves and grants broadcast and telecommunications franchises and other state-controlled franchises. Mind you, franchises are veritable source of lobby funds. That’s why, many lawmakers want to be members, if not chairman or vice chairman, of such committees that have the power to grant franchises.  

For a more simplistic example of how ridiculous some ideas could be cooked up by our publicity-hungry lawmakers is a situation where the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) could lose its power and authority to grant franchises to public utility vehicles if a bus, jeepney or taxi figures in a high-profile accident. By the same token, this kind of proposal could be similarly raised against the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) for allowing the importation of highly toxic endosulfan, which is already banned for use in agriculture in many countries. Apparently, Del Monte Philippines, which imported this pesticide that is even dangerous to humans, was able to ship its cargo on the ill-fated passenger vessel of Sulpicio.

The House committee on transportation chaired by Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella conducted these public hearings at the same time that the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) started its investigation into this latest sea tragedy involving again by one of the ships owned by Sulpicio Lines. Their parallel hearing prejudiced the BMI inquiry when Sulpicio’s hotshot lawyer Arthur Lim found legal basis to inhibit two members of the board from further participation after they testified at the House hearing.

The BMI, a quasi-judicial body, is the government agency mandated to conduct such investigations into maritime accidents such as this. It is an attached agency of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) but is an independent body. The mother government agency for both the BMI and PCG is the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) headed by Secretary Leandro Mendoza. The MARINA is also an attached agency of the DOTC.

The BMI wrapped up last week its investigation into this sea accident where more than 700 people on board perished but only 200 bodies have so far been either retrieved or washed ashore. Our congressmen, on the other hand, have not indicated as to when or how soon they would finish their public hearing on the Sulpicio accident. In the meantime, our enterprising congressmen have found a very hot public issue where they could squeeze every juicy publicity while the 14th Congress has yet to resume sessions.

Thus, we would continue to be entertained by harebrained proposals such as this coming out and unfortunately, media has to report these things in the interest of public information. I have yet to see any concrete measures from our self-righteous congressmen from the affected areas around Sibuyan – Romblon, Cebu and Masbate – how they could help avert a ticking environmental time bomb inside the sunken MV Princess of the Stars where the highly toxic endosulfan remains submerged.

It’s exactly one month now that at least 10 tons of such highly dangerous pesticide continue to pose threat. We dread knowing its fatal potency could kill marine life and even humans once it gets out of its sealed container. Time is running out but rhetorics continue. It gives us a sinking feeling of much worse consequences might result from this sea tragedy.

We could only pray and hope for the best now that Sulpicio has taken much more seriously the need to show more of its corporate social responsibility. We gathered that the third-generation owners of the Go family running Sulpicio have heeded more rational advice for them to stop attacking legally everyone else when their lawyer filed counter-suits against Pagasa, the BMI, Del Monte and others.

The Go family forked out $8.9 million to finance the salvage operations, hire foreign experts, and get all those high-tech equipment from abroad to ensure the safe retrieval of the toxic chemicals out of the ship at the soonest possible time. But the whole salvage operation itself may take at least a month. In the last House public hearing, top executives of Del Monte reportedly promised to help finance the retrieval of their lost cargo.

Perhaps, the congressmen could do their share by re-allotting their pork barrel allocations for this massive environmental cleanup. All saliva-fueled rhetorics would not do much to help our countrymen in the endangered areas around the sunken ship where a fishing ban has been enforced for also a month now. The second regular sessions of the 14th Congress would start next Monday, July 28. I’m sure there would be a lot of creative juices to inspire our lawmakers to come up with better ideas than the ones being floated now.