EDITORIAL - Another disaster, another warning

Maritime authorities grounded yesterday the entire fleet of Aboitiz Transport System. Malacañang also warned that heads would roll following the sinking of the SuperFerry 9 off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte last Sunday.

Whose heads would roll is unclear. Transport and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza did not lose his job for signing the $329-million national broadband network deal with ZTE Corp. – or perhaps this partly accounts for his durability in the Cabinet – and he isn’t going to lose his post over one little sea mishap. Over the past eight and a half years, commercial vessels big and small have sunk or caught fire or been bombed by terrorists, with no transport or maritime official losing his job.

The Iloilo-bound SuperFerry 9 left the port of General Santos City Saturday in fine weather but sent a distress call hours later, reporting that the ship was listing. Rescue ships were deployed, saving more than 900 passengers and crew including the ship’s captain, but nine others were confirmed dead as of yesterday.

Investigators said the ship was not overloaded and there were no indications of a terrorist attack. A SuperFerry was blown up by the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah near the mouth of Manila Bay in 2004, leaving 116 dead. Shipping companies were supposed to have tightened security in their operations after the attack. This time authorities are reportedly looking at a change in the design of the SuperFerry 9 that could have led to the sinking. One passenger said the ship started listing as soon as it left port.

Malacañang warned yesterday that the maritime industry could face greater deregulation and therefore more competition to encourage efficiency and responsibility. The industry, a Palace official observed, “has chronic excess demand, and chronic misbehavior and lack of capacity.”

The warning should be welcome news for those who use maritime transportation – if it can be carried out. Over the years promises of reforms and threats to make heads roll have been made by the government, but commercial ships still keep sinking even in fine weather, and all maritime officials are still at their posts. Threats and promises are forgotten as investigations drag on for months, until the next disaster claims more lives.