MARITIME WATCHKEEPER

Hon. Enrique M. Aboitiz, Jr. CEO of Aboitiz Transport Systems, Inc. (ATS) is also a Member of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Board. Unless the MARINA Charter (PD 141) has been amended, only the President can appoint members to the MARINA Board. However, changing the composition of the MARINA Board would require an amendment of the law creating the MARINA.

In the issue of the Philippine Star, dated 22 July 2007, further scrutiny of the Lloyds list of maritime accidents reveals that afterall, Sulpicio Lines is not the topnotch accident prone company in the Philippines.

“A total of 111 sea tragedies involving 84 local commercial vessels have occurred in Philippine waters since 1980, Lloyd’s of London records obtained by The STAR showed.

Surprisingly, it is the Aboitiz Transport Systems Inc. and not the controversial Sulpicio Lines Inc. which posted the highest number of sea accidents – 71 – involving 55 of its vessels.

The report showed SLI was second on the list with 45 accidents. Trans Asia and Lorenzo Shipping followed with 18 and 11 incidents respectively, each involving 10 vessels.” [Read more]

What is the agenda behind the appointment of E M Aboitiz into the MARINA Board?

The MARINA Administrator, instead of clarifying this issue has replied with a libelous statement that the question about the propriety of having a shipowner in the MARINA Board comes from a “malicious and polluted mind.”  (more…)

Trying to grab a piece of the limelight (for himself) resulting from the MV Princess of the Star sea tragedy, MARINA Chief Vicente T. Suazo, Jr. has instead opened a can of worms.  Claiming that he was “quoted out of context”, Suazo tried to correct his statement made about “All ships in Central Visayas not qualified to sail.”

Newsman Elias O. Baquero of Sun*Star Daily insists that he did not misquote Suazo.  “How could he have been misquoted when he was the one who called me on my cellphone, at least on three occasions?”, said Baquero. Central Visayas ship owners described as “unfair and irresponsible” Suazo’s allegations that “Marina 7 officials are in the payroll of several shipping firms, and that this is why all vessels were certified as seaworthy when these should have been grounded.” (more…)

Friday, July 11, 2008
All ships in Central Visayas not qualified to sail: Marina chief

CEBU CITY — If maritime laws were followed strictly, no vessel owned by shipping lines in Central Visayas would be allowed to sail because of numerous defects, Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. said Thursday.

Suazo said the inspection team he organized in Manila uncovered what he described as “questionable” approval and granting of Certificates of Public Convenience (CPCs) by Marina 7 officials.

This, he said, endangers the lives of the public.

Marina 7 is authorized to issue CPCs because the task has been deregulated.

Despite their issuance of CPCs, Marina 7 inspectors and auditors failed or intentionally did not attach a copy of inspection reports of vessels to the CPC forwarded to the Marina central office, Suazo said.

He said he wanted a copy of the inspection reports because he will compare these with the report of the inspection team he organized after the m/v Princess of the Stars sank last month in stormy weather.

Suazo said he received reports that Marina 7 officials are in the payroll of several shipping firms, and that this is why all vessels were certified as seaworthy when these should have been grounded.

Suazo also said he already ordered an investigation on allegations that Marina 7 allowed Rolly Shipping Corporation to operate “dilapidated” vessels for three years, even if the shipping firm allegedly failed to meet the requirements.

Suazo said he received reports that Rolly Shipping was able to continue operating because Marina 7 extended its franchise for three years.
Rolly Shipping vessels operate in the Cebu-Leyte route.

Sun.Star Cebu failed to locate Rolly Shipping president Virgilio Alcaraz for comment Thursday.

When asked for his side, Marina 7 Director Glenn Cabañez refused to comment on Suazo’s allegation. But, he said, he will look into the allegations raised.

Cabañez said it would be better if Suazo will also present proof to back his allegations so that those linked to it can be investigated.

Cabañez also refused to comment on the issue raised against Rolly Shipping, saying he will discuss it first with his subordinates. (EOB)

Marina Administrator Vicente Suazo, Jr. evades the chance to clarify a serious observation on the propriety of having a major player in the shipping business in the country sitting in as a member of the Board of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).  Rather than reply to the implied impropriety and conflict of interest raised by the appointment, the MARINA Administrator simply issues a libelous statement: “That comment about the appointment of Aboitiz came from a malicious and polluted mind.”

Perhaps, by answering some questions on the matter, the public will be made aware of the reasons behind the questioned appointment. Suazo can easily answer the following questions, if he cares to clear the issues:

Has there been any amendment to the MARINA CHARTER?
 
Section 7 of PD 474 states that: Composition and Organization. The Board shall be composed of eight members as follows: The Secretary of Trade, the Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Communications, the Secretary of National Defense, the Executive Secretary, the Chairman of the Board of Investments, the Chairman of the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Chairman of the Board of Transportation and the Maritime Administrator. The Chairman of the Board shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines from among its members.

The officials next in rank to the regular members shall serve as permanent alternate members, except that, in the absence of the Chairman, the Board shall elect a temporary presiding officer. The alternate members shall attend meetings of the Board and committees assigned to their principals and receive the corresponding per diems whenever their principal is absent or the said position is vacant.

The Board shall meet regularly once a month and may hold special meetings to consider urgent matters upon call of the Chairman or any three members thereof. A majority shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Each member shall receive a monthly commutable allowance of five hundred pesos and per diem of one hundred for every meeting of the Board or committee thereof actually attended: Provided, That the total amount of per diems which each may receive shall not exceed five hundred pesos a month.

Has Carlos Salinas been replaced as the private sector representative to the MARINA Board?

Certainly, if the answer to the previous question is in “no”, the next logical question that can be asked would be on the nature and legal basis for said appointment. What was the basis for the Presidential appointment of this shipping company CEO into the MARINA Board?

Do the permanent alternate ex-officio members attending the Board meetings occupy positions in government that qualify them to do so according to Section 7 of PD 474?

Lastly, what caused the Administrator to accuse the source of the news article written by Elias Baquero of Sun*Star Daily of having a “malicious and polluted mind.”