Coast Guard: Sea marshals readied to secure ship passengers

Passengers riding boats to the provinces for Holy Week may expect protection from composite sea marshal teams tasked to thwart potential criminals or terrorists from striking. The sea marshals will be in full uniform and are trained to deal with threats aboard a civilian vessel, radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported Friday. "Ang visibility [ng marshals] magsisilbing deterrent sa gustong maghasik ng hindi magandang gawain," Maritime Industry Authority head Nicasio Conti said in an interview on dzBB radio. Sea marshal teams have six members – two each from the Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines. For its part, the Coast Guard will also be on alert in major ports such as Manila, Batangas, Lucena, and Cebu, spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo said. Balilo added the Coast Guard will inspect seagoing vessels for life vests, communication equipment and other lifesaving features. The sea marshals were formed shortly after the bombing of a SuperFerry in February 2004. They are now deployed to protect not only passenger ships but also “high interest vessels” such as those engaged in energy explorations and those vulnerable to security threats. Meanwhile, Conti warned ship operators against arbitrarily raising fees to take advantage of the Holy Week rush. "Huwag pagsamantalahan dahil walang pagtaas ng pamasahe (Don't exploit passengers because there is no reason to increase fares)," he said. — LBG, GMA News