FOLLOWING the MB Aya Express tragedy that killed 27 passengers, a lawmaker has called for the compulsory donning of life jackets on all passenger motorized boats.

“Every traveler on a motorized boat should be wearing a life jacket at all times throughout the voyage as a precaution.

This is a simple and practical measure that can help safeguard lives at sea or in lakes and rivers,” Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, a stalwart of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), said on Sunday.

Rillo is vice chairperson of the committees on Metro Manila development and tourism of the House of Representatives.

The MB Aya Express sunk in Laguna Lake on July 27, shortly after leaving the port in Barangay Kalinawan in Binangonan, Rizal.

With a seating capacity of 42 passengers, the vessel was overloaded with 67 people, 27 of whom drowned in the lake that has an average depth of only 2.8 meters or 9 feet and two inches.

The watercraft was on its way to Talim Island near the center of the lake when strong waves battered it, causing the banca to roll over.

A criminal investigation is underway and the Philippine Coast Guard has since relieved two of its officers who allowed the vessel to set out despite the “no-sail policy” due to Supertyphoon Egay and the apparent overloading.

Motorized boats routinely ferry passengers across various points around the lake surrounded by Metro Manila and the provinces of Rizal and Laguna.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco