|
MANILA - TWO members of a Philippine panel investigating a ferry disaster which cost about 800 lives quit on Tuesday after the ship's operator accused them of bias.
Rear Admiral Benjamin Mata and Commodore Amado Romillo of the Philippine Coast Guard said they were stepping down to 'preserve the integrity' of the board of marine inquiry.
The Princess of the Stars sank after sailing into Typhoon Fengshen on June 21 off the central coast. Of more than 850 people on board, less than 60 survived.
'I have resigned to preserve the integrity of the inquiry,' Rear Admiral Mata told reporters, adding there 'have been accusations that I have been impartial and (have) pre-judged the case'.
Ferry operator Sulpicio Lines had called on the two to withdraw from the probe, saying their line of questioning showed they were biased against the firm. The new development could lead to further delays in the inquiry.
More than 700 bodies are believed to remain trapped inside the upturned ferry more than two weeks after the tragedy. Divers abandoned their recovery bid after a cargo of toxic pesticide was discovered inside the hull.
Officials have decided to refloat the vessel instead, but no time frame has been given as to when the operation will be carried out.
Angry and grieving relatives of those who perished meanwhile have accused Sulpicio Lines of ignoring their plight and say they are planning to file a class action suit.
Mr Joseph Solante, 47, whose son, Terry Joseph, was among those aboard the ferry said the owners 'were playing with our emotions' and refusing to extend help.
'A representative from Sulpicio Lines had called me to tell me my son has been found alive, only to call back hours later to tell me their information was wrong,' Mr Solante said.
'My wife is inconsolable. She has had little sleep since the accident.' Solante said he will join the lawsuit against Sulpicio being mulled by the relatives of those who perished.
'Sulpicio should be made to pay,' he said.
Sulpicio ferries have figured in some of the Philippines' major sea disasters, including the 1987 collision between its Dona Paz vessel and a small oil tanker.
More than 4,000 were killed in the mishap, but the company was absolved of any criminal liability. -- AFP
| 
