Captain's ‘bad judgment’ caused ‘Princess’ sinking - BMI

MANILA, Philippines - Bad judgment on the part of its captain had caused the sinking of MV Princess of the Stars off Romblon province last June 21 during the height of typhoon “Frank,” according to the board that probed the tragedy. In a television interview, Master Mariner Capt. Demetrio Ferrer of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) said Capt. Florencio Marimon Jr erred when he decided to push through with the voyage in the face of a 150 kph wind force. "What vessel could sustain that kind of weather condition? Forty feet sea and about 150 (kph) wind force. The very root cause, there was an error of judgment as what we have said on the part of the master," Ferrer said. “That is the primary root cause and the others are supposed to be contributory factors of negligence and complacency. That is our initial report, it will be finalized,” he added. The 23,000-ton vessel, owned by Sulpicio Lines Inc., was carrying more than 800 passengers and crewmembers when it capsized off Sibuyan Island due to strong winds and waves brought by typhoon “Frank.” The six-man BMI panel was supposed to wrap up its inquiry on the case Wednesday but instead held a closed-door executive meeting where they listened to an expert from the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The BMI is expected to release its report Friday, then it will transmitted to Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo for review. After reviewing the BMI report, the coast guard commandant will then forward it to Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza. In an interview with reporters, BMI Chairman Rear Admiral Ramon Liwag said they did not recommend that criminal charges be filed against Sulpicio Lines since theirs was only a fact-finding investigation. "This is a fact finding where we are looking into lapses on the system, on the ship and its officers," Liwag said. - GMANews.TV