ROXAS: SULPICIO LINES TO EXPLAIN BEFORE THE SENATE
PESTICIDE CARGO ON PASSENGER FERRY

Senator Mar Roxas said Sulpicio Lines should explain before the Senate why it carried 10 metric tons of hazardous, restricted pesticide aboard a passenger ferry, the M/V Princess of the Stars.

He said the owners of Sulpicio Lines had been putting the lives of its passengers at risk even before the storm hit.

Roxas said the shipping company would also have to explain the presence of highly-restricted cargo before the customs, health and environment agencies.

"An aging ferry was allowed to sail in a typhoon, carrying tons of restricted hazardous pesticide perhaps without the knowledge of the passengers themselves - two things that should not have happened under our law, but happened anyway. Heads should roll and the company must be held accountable," he said.

"Irresponsible firms and persons have no right to do business in the Philippines. The Senate will demand from our maritime, environment and customs authorities all documents and information pointing to how Sulpicio Lines recklessly handled such hazardous cargo and bull-headedly went against common sense by sailing into rough seas," he added.

The pesticide, endosulfan, is already banned in many countries such as with the European Union and Cambodia, and its use is restricted in the Philippines. It is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor.

The presence of 10 tons of such pesticide inside the capsized ship has made it impossible for authorities to locate the 600 or more passengers who remain missing. As of press time, 124 passengers had been found dead, with only 62 survivors.

"This incident reeks of sheer irresponsibility on the part of the shipowner, and may even point to the negligence of our authorities. We will make its owners and officers attend the Senate investigation, even if it would entail force. We owe this to hundreds of victims and their bereaved families," he stressed.