Press Release
October 10, 2011

PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA

MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I RISE TODAY ON A MATTER OF PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE PRIVILEGE.

IN RECENT WEEKS, WE HAVE AGAIN BEEN WITNESS TO A PARADE OF HEARTACHE AND HARDSHIP FOR THOUSANDS OF FILIPINOS AFTER RAINS AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS WROUGHT BY SUCCESSIVE TYPHOONS PEDRING AND QUIEL BATTERED VARIOUS PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY. FLOOD WATERS STILL PERSIST IN MANY COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL LUZON, PARTICULARLY IN BULACAN, PAMPANGA, AND TARLAC.

WITH SOME EXPERTS CLAIMING THAT THE WATERS WILL TAKE A MONTH TO RECEDE IN SOME PLACES, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE LITANY OF WOES IS FAR FROM OVER. WE ARE SADDENED, AS WELL, OVER THE LOSS OF LIFE EXACTED BY THESE FORCES OF NATURE.

HOWEVER, WE MUST ALSO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO A MORE RECENT INCIDENT THAT ALSO RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF LIFE OF SIX SIMPLE, HARD WORKING FILIPINO WORKERS. THIS TIME, THEIR DEMISE WAS CAUSED BY ANOTHER ELEMENT, NOT A NATURAL ONE, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT RIGHTLY CALL THE ELEMENT OF NEGLIGENCE.

LAST FRIDAY, THE 7TH OF OCTOBER, FIVE LIVES WERE LOST AT THE SUBIC SHIPYARD AND ENGINEERING HEADQUARTERS IN ZAMBALES. THIS HAPPENED AFTER A STEEL RAMP TORE OFF FROM ITS SUPPORTING FOUNDATION POSTS AND FELL, INSTANTLY PINNING AND KILLING THE WORKERS BELOW. THE SIXTH FATALITY WAS BARELY ALIVE WHEN HE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT DIED THERE SHORTLY AFTER FROM INJURIES HE SUSTAINED.

WE SYMPATHIZE DEEPLY WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE DECEASED. THE TRAGEDY OF THEIR DEATHS IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO BEAR FOR THOSE LEFT BEHIND. BUT THE LOSS IS MADE MORE PAINFUL BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING UP TO, AND RESULTING IN, THIS TERRIBLE INCIDENT. MISTER PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ANOTHER JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF FINGER POINTING. BUT THERE IS A SERIOUS NEED TO FERRET OUT THE TRUTH IF JUSTICE IS EVER TO BE DONE FOR THE WORKERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES WHILE THEY WERE TRYING TO EARN A DECENT LIVING.

HINDI PA MALAMAN ANG NAGING SANHI NG NASABING AKSIDENTE. MARAHIL AY NARARAPAT LANG NA MAGKAROON TAYO NG ISANG MASUSING IMBESTIGASYON UPANG MALAMAN NATIN ANG DAHILAN KUNG BAKIT PALAGIANG MAY MGA GANITONG PANGYAYARI SA SUBIC AT MAY MGA NAMAMATAY. THUS FAR, THE SINGAPORE-BASED KEPPEL SHIPYARD LIMITED, WHICH MANAGES THE SUBIC SHIPYARD, HAS SUCCESSFULLY FENDED OFF ANY SERIOUS, GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED INQUIRY INTO WHAT REALLY HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY. EVEN THE MAYOR OF SUBIC, THE HONORABLE JEFFREY KHONGHUN, WAS DENIED ACCESS INTO THE SHIPYARD'S PREMISES AFTER HE RUSHED THERE SUBSEQUENT TO RECEIVING REPORTS ON THE INCIDENT.

TO THIS REPRESENTATION, SUCH RESISTANCE IS AN OUTRIGHT REFUSAL TO RECOGNIZE LOCAL AUTHORITY. CERTAINLY, THE MANAGEMENT OF SUBIC SHIPYARD IS WELL WITHIN ITS RIGHTS TO DEFEND ITS SELF-PROCLAIMED ADHERENCE TO STRICT SAFETY STANDARDS. IT IS ALSO FREE TO CLAIM THAT ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN IN WORKING ENVIRONMENTS EVERYWHERE.

NARARAPAT LANG SIGURO NA HUWAG NATING PABAYAAN NA BASTA NA LAMANG PAYAGAN NA MAUWI SA ISANG MALUNGKOT NA PANGYAYARI ANG NASABING INSIDENTE. HINDI DAPAT PAYAGANG MANAIG ANG KATIGASAN NG ULO NG MAY-ARI NG SHIPYARD SA PAGSABI NA NATURAL LANG DAW ANG GANOONG AKSIDENTE. PAANO NA ANG ATING MGA TRABAHADOR? ANG MGA DAPAT MAGDUSA? ANG MGA NAIWANG PAMILYA?

YES, MR. PRESIDENT ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, BUT THEY DO HAVE A WAY OF HAPPENING AGAIN, AND AGAIN, IF FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE IS NOT DETERMINED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT CORRECTIVE MEASURES MAY BE UNDERTAKEN JUST AS QUICKLY.

AT THIS JUNCTURE, HOWEVER, DETERMINING THE EXACT LIABILITY OF THE SUBIC SHIPYARD MANAGEMENT FOR LAST FRIDAY'S TRAGEDY IS AT A STANDSTILL. WHAT REPORTS WE RECEIVED THEN REMAIN PRACTICALLY THE SAME TODAY - STAGNANT. THERE ARE HARDLY ANY DEVELOPMENTS THAT COULD ASSURE THE FAMILIES OF THE DECEASED THAT THE FULL MEASURE OF THE LAW WILL BE IMPOSED ON THOSE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN REMISS IN ENSURING THE SAFETY OF THEIR WORKERS. FOR HOW SAFE COULD SAFE HAVE BEEN IF AN ENTIRE STEEL RAMP BROKE FROM ITS SUPPORTING FOUNDATION POSTS TO FALL ON THE UNSUSPECTING WORKERS TOILING BELOW?

THESE WORKERS WERE NOT EXPOSED TO EVERYDAY RISKS - THE VERY SIZE OF THE VESSELS THEY WERE WORKING ON WERE EPIC. THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES LAST FRIDAY WERE PART OF THE REPAIR CREW WORKING ON THE MV TOMBARRA, A 22,650-TON CONTAINER SHIP. WITH THE CAPACITY TO CARRY WITHIN ITS MASSIVE GIRTH MORE THAN 6,000 CARS, WE CAN ALL IMAGINE THE IMMENSE SHADOW IT CAST. WE CAN ALSO IMAGINE THE GIGANTIC PLATFORMS THAT WERE CREATED TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO NEEDED TO REACH ITS VAST EXTERIOR. SOMETHING WENT VERY, VERY WRONG THERE LAST FRIDAY, AND THERE IS A RIGHTFUL DEMAND FROM MANY SECTORS AND INDIVIDUALS - THIS HUMBLE REPRESENTATION INCLUDED - TO DETERMINE HOW SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD HAPPEN IN A FIRM THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS SAFETY STANDARDS.

FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE SOME DISTURBING REPORTS THAT PUT THIS CLAIM INTO QUESTION. FOR INSTANCE, IT HAS COME TO LIGHT THAT VICTIMS OF ON-SITE INJURIES HAVE BEEN REGULAR VISITORS TO SUBIC'S OUR LADY OF LOURDES HOSPITAL - AN AVERAGE OF 1 EVERY THREE MONTHS. THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS OF A WORKER FALLING TO HIS DEATH FROM A SCAFFOLDING, AND AN OIL TANKER EXPLODING IN THE SHIPYARD'S PREMISES. THIS LAST ONE IS DISTINCT FROM ANOTHER OIL TANKER EXPLOSION WHICH OCCURRED IN 2003, ALSO WITHIN ITS PREMISES. THAT TRAGEDY CLAIMED FIVE LIVES.

FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THOSE WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST IN THESE TERRIBLE INCIDENTS, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR GRIEVING FAMILIES, AND FOR THE WELFARE OF THE MILLIONS OF FILIPINO WORKERS WHO DAILY PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY IN ORDER TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE: I ASK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, TO JOIN ME IN DEMANDING THAT AN OPEN AND THOROUGH INQUIRY IMMEDIATELY BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE LIABILITY OF SUBIC SHIPYARD, AND ITS MANAGEMENT, KEPPEL SHIPYARD OF SINGAPORE, IN LAST FRIDAY'S TRAGEDY.

LET US PUNISH THE GUILTY FOR WHATEVER SANCTION AND/OR PENALTY THAT IS COMMENSURATE TO THE GROSS NEGLECT THAT THE COMPANY MAY HAVE COMMITTED.

THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY.

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