ILOILO City – Passengers of motorboats plying the Iloilo City – Guimaras route and vice versa are mostly not wearing lifejackets, observed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Actually, according to PCG Iloilo commander Lieutenant Rodolfo Dela Peña, the wearing of lifejacket is not mandatory.
What is mandatory is for passengers to hold the lifejackets, he clarified, citing Memorandum Circular No. 196 issued by the Maritime Industry Authority.
But even this simple instruction is not being followed, lamented Dela Peña. For this, he is taking to task the boat captains.
“Nakasab-it lang ang lifejackets. Ti, nag pagwa ako directive nga indi pagpalakton kon indi i-hold ang lifejackets,” said Dela Peña.
Boat captains have the responsibility to compel passengers to at least hold lifejackets, he stressed.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 196, boat captains violating it would be slapped with a fine on first offense. Second and succeeding offenses would result to the cancellation of the boat captain’s license.
Every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. PCG Iloilo has personnel inspecting motorboats.
Most boat captains and passengers invoked the short distance between Iloilo City and Guimaras as reason for not wearing or holding lifejackets, said Dela Peña./PN
