PCG faces charges for allowing MT Princess Empress to sail without permit

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) faces administrative and legal action for inspectors who permitted the MT Princess Empress to sail without a required Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

PCG confirmed that the departure checklist was not verified for the presence of a CPC, a mandatory document issued by MARINA.

RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., the owner of MT Princess Empress, admitted that the tanker had sailed nine times from Bataan to Manila without the necessary CPC.

Senator Francis Escudero highlighted these repeated sailings as a significant oversight on the part of the Coast Guard.

Senators also raised concerns that the owner might not be able to cover the clean-up costs and damages due to the potential invalidity of its US$1-billion insurance, stemming from the lack of a CPC.

Senator Raffy Tulfo stated that PCG personnel who allowed MT Princess Empress to sail without a permit to operate should face charges for dereliction of duty, as well as their supervisors.

Tulfo believes that if the PCG had fulfilled its duty to prevent the MT Princess Empress from leaving port without proper documentation, the committee hearing might not have been necessary.