MANILA, Philippines - Three ranking Coast Guard officials face dismissal from the service and a six-year jail term as the Ombudsman endorsed a complaint against them over the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy.
The Office of the Ombudsman said it’s Field Investigation Office (OMB-FIO) endorsed for preliminary investigation the complaint filed against the three.
It identified the respondents as Luis Tuazon, Commander for Metro Manila and Central Luzon; Erwin Balagas, commander for Manila and Felix Rizalde Sardan, Petty Officer I, of the Coast guard Manila station.
"(The three) have acted at the very least gross inexcusable negligence when they failed to perform faithfully the duties they are required to do during the occurrence of typhoon Frank. Their acts caused undue injury to the people of Romblon whose lives and livelihood were gravely affected, to the marine environment whose fragile ecosystem was gravely endangered, to the bereaved families who lost their love ones when MV Princess of the Stars sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon, and above all to public safety and national interest," assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni, chief of the Ombudsman Field Investigation Office said in an article on the Ombudsman website.
The respondents face dismissal from the service and imprisonment for six years if found guilty of the administrative and criminal charges, the Ombudsman said.
The officials were charged with violating the anti-graft law, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
In its report, the OMBFIO said the three did not faithfully perform their duties and responsibilities in the enforcement of maritime safety laws.
It cited PCG Memorandum Circular No. 04-07, which bars vessels from sailing except to take shelter if Public Storm Warning 3 is hoisted within its point of origin, route and point of destination.
Under the circular, the three commanders were responsible for monitoring the prevailing weather conditions and plotting in the weather to chart the forecast position of the typhoon.
The OMBFIO report added that the respondents allowed the vessel to sail for Cebu on 20 June 2008, despite warning signals issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Also, it said they failed to monitor the movement of typhoon Frank and plot the danger sector from the path of the typhoon, which would have made them realize that the MV Princess of the Stars was not moving away but moving toward a collision course with the eye of the typhoon.
- GMANews.TV
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