DOTr's Dizon orders probe on 'overloaded' vessel bound for Romblon

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday that the Department of Transportation  is investigating a ship that sold tickets beyond its capacity.

In an interview posted on Facebook, Dizon said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) caught the vessel in Batangas. The ship was bound for Romblon.

“Nakakaawa din yung mga kababayan natin kasi may na stranded. Obviously na stranded sila kasi nag benta ng mas maraming ticket yung shipping line compared sa allowable number of passengers and weight,” he said.

(Our fellow citizens are also pitiful because some of them were stranded. It’s obvious they were stranded because the shipping line sold more tickets than the allowable number of passengers and weight.)

According to Dizon, the PCG did not allow the vessel to exceed its capacity.

The DOTr also said that Dizon ordered compensation for the affected passengers.

“Hindi tayo mag ko kompriso sa safety ng mga pasaero natin. Ma inconvenience ang ating mga pasahero pero wala tayong choice,” he said.

(We won’t compromise the safety of our passengers. There may be inconvenience for them, but we have no choice.)

“Pero kargo ‘yan ng shipping line. So we will hold the shipping line accountable,” he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News