Princess capsize blamed on captain’s error

BY GERARD NAVAL

A MEMBER of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) yesterday said an error in judgment on the part of MV Princess of the Stars master Florencio Marimon was the root cause of the sea tragedy last June.

Capt. Demetrio Ferrer, BMI member and spokesman, said Marimon failed to make the correct decision with regards to the capability of the ferry to withstand big waves and strong rains brought about by typhoon “Frank.”

Marimon is among those feared dead.

Of the 800 on board the ill-fated ferry, only 124 casualties and 60 survivors have been accounted for.

“What vessel could sustain that kind of weather condition? Forty feet sea and about 150 wind force. The very root cause: there was an error of judgment as what we have said on the part of the master. That is the primary root cause and the others are supposed to be contributory factors of negligence and complacency,” he said.

Maritime experts Capt. Rodolfo Estampador of the Conference of Maritime Manning Agencies, and Capt. (ret.) Michael Cuanzon shared Ferrer’s view.

“As the captain, we are forced to calculate risk against elements of nature. We don’t rely so much on the Pagasa. It is the right of the master to decline voyage if there is an approaching typhoon,” said Cuanzon, adding that the MV Princess should have sought shelter in Puerto Galera.

The passenger/cargo vessel left the Port of Manila last June 20 under Signal No. 1. By the time Frank changed its course and Pagasa had issued storm signal warnings the following day, MV Princess had run smack into the typhoon.

BMI chairman Rear Adm. Ramon Liwag said they will submit their report to Coast Guard commandant Vice Adm. Wifredo Tamayo tomorrow.

Liwag said they are looking at Monday as when the report will be made public by the Department of Transportation and Communication.

He said the report will not make findings of criminal liability as the probe merely determined the facts. - With Genivi Factao(Malaya)

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My Take:

Now they’re using the classic “Dead Men Tells no Tales” tactic.

Pointing a possible dead man as the culprit and cleaning the shoes of the masters is one act pulled with a possible large amount of money involved.