ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 03 April) – About 50 Muslim lawyers have formed a group to provide free legal services to the survivors and families of those who died in the recent sea tragedy involving the ill-fated M/V Lady Mary Joy 3.
Atty. Ryan Jumaani, Sulu provincial legal officer, said the group formed the Muslim Lawyers Legal Assistance Program purposely to assist the passengers of the boat that caught fire on March 29 evening while en route to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City. The vessel is owned by by Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc.
Jumaani said that Muslim lawyers from Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (ZamBaSulTa) formed the group as part of their “religious and moral duty to extend help to the victims of the unfortunate event.”
Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan lauded the group for offering to provide legal assistance to the victims of the sea tragedy, which resulted in the death of 29 people.
The ill-fated ship was carrying 240 passengers, including crew members, according to data from the local Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
As of Sunday, at least 24 individuals remained missing while seven charred remains were recovered from the ship, the Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (Basilan PDRRMO) reported.
Senior Supt. Kadil Acalul, head of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Basilan (BFP Basilan) , said that search operations are still on going.
He said some cabins in the inner chamber of the vessel have not been opened because thick smoke prevented the search team from advancing.
Lawyer Mehol Sadain, former secretary of the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos, said that boats operated by shipping lines are considered common carriers.
Citing the Civil Code of the Philippines, he pointed out that “common carriers, from the nature of their business and for reasons of public policy, are bound to observe extraordinary diligence in the vigilance over the goods and for the safety of the passengers transported by them.”
Shipping lines must exercise extreme caution to protect the lives and properties aboard their vessels, he said.
Some survivors reportedly complained that the boat crew allegedly failed to provide adequate assistance during the fire, and the lack of fire extinguishers and rubber boats in the ill-fated vessel.
In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – ZamBaSulTa chapter called on the PCG, the Philippine Navy, and the Maritime Industry Authority to conduct a swift, thorough and impartial investigation on the incident, and to hold those responsible accountable.
The group also urged the stricter implementation of existing maritime protocols and policies to ensure the safety of all future passengers.
The Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission noted that the tragedy “could have been prevented if proper safety measures, protocols and regulations were enforced in the shipping industry.”
Atty. Hash Ibrahim, Aleson Shipping legal counsel, told the media on March 31 that the company will extend P3,000 to each survivor and “P25,000 to P200,000” for the families of those who perished.
He said the company is waiting for the release of the boat’s insurance to pay the victims.
Ibrahim claimed the boat “was not overloaded” when it left the Zamboanga City port.
The vessel caught fire while going from Zamboanga City to Jolo in Sulu, and was able to beach at Balukbaluk Island of Hadji Muhtamad municipality in Basilan, the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command (NFWMC) Public Affairs Office said.
The Naval Task Force 61’s 1st Boat Attack Division immediately dispatched the Philippine Navy’s multi-purpose attack crafts BA485 and BA487 to the site, which ferried back an initial 67 rescued passengers on March 30.
“The vessels brought the rescued persons back to Ensign Majini Pier for treatment at the Camp Navarro General Hospital,” the NFWMC said.
The PCG, BFP-Basilan, the fire stations of Lamitan and Isabela, and the Basilan PDRRMO were the first responders to the March 29 fire.
Julkipli Ahijon, Sulu PDRRMO chief, said the provincial government had already released one million pesos as financial assistance to the passengers of M/V Lady Mary Joy 3.
He said P500,000 were equally divided to 10 families of the dead victims, P20,000 to each of nine wounded passengers or P180,000, and P5,000 each or a total of P320,000 to 64 survivors.
The local governments of Zamboanga and Isabela, Basilan have also extended relief assistance to the victims. (Frencie Carreon / MindaNews)
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