Tempers flared in MV Princess of the Stars hearing, no conclusive results

On its fourth hearing yesterday, what House transportation committee chair Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella planned as a wrap up questioning of the people accused to be responsible for the June sinking of MV Princess of the Stars turned into a heated grilling by several congressmen who threatened to cite some resource persons in contempt.

“Our guests are trying to avoid responsibility. I’ve been pissed off with this investigation. These people are not answering truthfully. I think we should hold this people in contempt. It’s an insult to this body,” Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante said in an outburst during the six-hour hearing and then walked out of the room. He quickly returned, looking composed.

The same suggestion was made by Tarlac Rep. Jose Yap during the hearing. “We are going deeper,” Puentevella told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak after the hearing past 7 p.m. last night when asked to assess how the hearings have been going so far. “We need one more hearing. You know why? We still have the BMI (Board of Marine Inquiry) report. We have to discuss the findings,” he added.

The past three hearings, held during the recess, averaged seven hours each. BMI is scheduled to submit its findings on Friday, August 1 to the Task Force Princess of the Stars headed by Department of Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Undersecretary Len Bautista.

The House hearings on the sunken MV Princess of the Stars were diligently attended by Sulpicio Lines’ first vice-president Edgar Go together with his lawyers and the hired salvor, and officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), DOTC’s Bautista, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Marina, and the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) among other stakeholders.