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MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday held Sulpicio Lines Inc, the owner of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, accountable for the incident which left 70 people dead and 744 others missing.

“We are holding the ferry company accountable,” President Arroyo said in a speech before the US-Asean Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce.

The President said that holding Sulpicio Lines accountable would ensure that the incidents leading to the tragedy will be known and to enable authorities to act and make sure that it will never happen again.

“(This is) to ensure that we find how this ferry tragedy could have occurred so we can take steps to make sure it never happens,” Mrs Arroyo said.

Government-run station Radyo ng Bayan also reported Wednesday that Mrs Arroyo assured that those who would be found responsible for the tragedy will be held accountable.

Radio dzRB reported that the President said that she will not lay blame at anyone at this point but vowed that those responsible for the incident will be held liable.

The report added Mrs Arroyo was saddened by the lives lost due to typhoon “Frank” and the capsizing of the ship.

The report also said the President was angry with the incident and had ordered a wide and thorough probe to determine how it happened in order to avoid similar incidents from happening in the future.

BMI probe

Before the Board of Marine Inquiry started its probe on the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy Wednesday morning, Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) officials said that the missing captain of the capsized ship had much to account for in the incident.

In a radio interview, Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said ship Captain Florencio Marimon Sr had much leeway to act when he set sail from Manila to Cebu on the night of June 20.

But Tamayo said he has also ordered an investigation into the Coast Guard personnel who may have been “involved” in allowing the ill-fated ship to set sail.

Still, he said the captain and the shipowner both have “responsibilities.”

On the other hand, Marina enforcement unit officer-in-charge Arnie Santiago said in a separate interview that the captain should have plotted his trip, taking into consideration the path of “Frank” as plotted by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The plotting would have allowed the captain to find “shelter” when the ship runs into the path of the storm, he said.

Santiago said Pagasa usually faxes copies of its weather advisories to the proper agencies, including the Coast Guard.

He added it is the job of the ship owner’s radio officer to gather the information and relay it to the ship via marine radio. - GMANews.TV