NI NOEL ABUEL
Magsilbi na sanang babala ang nangyaring madugong trahedya na pagkasawi ng 7-katao at pagkasugat ng maraming iba pa dahil sa pagkasunog ng isang pampasaherong sasakyang pandagat para maipasa ang Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB).
Ayon kay Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, sa pamamagitan ng ng nasabing panukala ay agad na mapapabilis ang imbestigasyon sa anumang insidente ng may kinalaman sa sasakyang pandagat at makagawa agad na rekomendasyon para maiwasan ito.
“It bears stressing that the proposed bill has a long-standing justification, which came from a government body tasked to investigate maritime accidents, the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI). I was the Chief Legislative Officer of Senator Sergio Osmeña III when he, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, conducted an inquiry in aid of legislation on the MV Princess of the Orient tragedy,” sabi ni Biazon.
Magugunitang nasunog ang MV Mercraft 2 sa karagatan sakop ng Real, Quezon kung saan marami ang nasugatan habang 7-katao ang iniulat na nasawi.
“It was there that I learned about the processes in the course of investigations of maritime accidents. That’s why when I eventually became a legislator as a Member of the House of Representatives in the 12th Congress, I filed a bill proposing the creation of the National Transportation Safety Board,” sabi nito.
Inalala ng mambabatas noong 1999, nang imbestigahan ng BMI ang paglubog ng MV Princess of the Orient ng Sulpicio Lines noong 1998 kung saan nagsagawa ng rekomendasyon sa pagbuo ng National Transportation Safety Commission bilang independent government agency.
“From that time, it remained a pending bill even when Sulpicio Lines lost another ship in 2008, the MV Princess of the Stars. Already in my third term then, I had once again emphasized the importance and relevance of the proposed National Transportation Safety Board in light of the recommendation of the Board of Marine Inquiry years before,” sabi pa ni Biazon.
Paliwanag pa ng kongresista, 19-taon matapos ihain nito ang House Bill No. 548, nanatili itong nasa pending sa 18th Congress hanggang sa makaabot ito sa Bicameral Conference Committee.
“What remains is the reconciliation of disagreeing provisions between the Senate and House versions. It is in this light that I call on our colleagues to hasten the reconciliation in order to beat the end of the 18th Congress and hopefully have the President sign it into law,” aniya pa.
“The obvious need and the recommendation to create the Transportation Safety Board has been painfully awaiting action by the Legislature at the expense of the safety of passengers of public conveyances,” dagdag pa ni Biazon.
“Time is running out. We should not let the inaction of six Congresses on a recommendation brought about by the loss of two ships and 914 lives to be continued by the 18th Congress,” aniya pa.
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