The Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) will impose sanctions and penalties on a local ferry after it was revealed that its operator had sold a number of tickets in excess of its maximum passenger capacity.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, April 14, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said that he has ordered the imposition of sanctions on the operator and the ferry itself, which was set to depart the Port of Batangas for nearby Romblon province that same day.
Dizon added that, because the operator had sold more tickets than what was permitted, a number of passengers were prohibited by the Philippine Coast Guard from boarding the vessel and thus ended up becoming stranded in Batangas.
"We won’t compromise the safety of our passengers," said Dizon. "This is the responsibility of the shipping line, so we will hold them accountable."
The secretary did not disclose the name of the ferry's operator.
The DOTr, the coast guard, and other local agencies have been implementing strict safety measures to ensure the safe passage of vessels to and from Romblon, where the waters regularly experience strong winds and currents that make navigation challenging.
It was in the waters just off the province's San Fernando municipality that the Ro-Pax ferry Princess of the Stars capsized and sank on June 21, 2008, resulting in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the Philippines with over 800 lives lost.
Sulpicio Lines, the ferry's owner, was later charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, damage to property, and serious physical injury.
The charges were filed after Philippines authorities found evidence suggesting that the vessel was allowed to depart Manila at the height of Typhoon Fengshen, which both local and foreign weather agencies forecast as having 10-minute sustained wind speeds of up to 89 knots.