UPDATE ON THE CAWIT INCIDENT

balangaw



My friend Nick went on air via the ABS-CBN Radio Station DZMM Sunday morning (yesterday), to air his complaint over Jenny's midnight program (ref: 'CRAZY IN CAWIT" blog Apr 20). The program expressed concern about the disregard for the passengers' safety in Cawit and would like to be informed about the progress of Nick's formal complaint. During the program, callers were invited to send their reactions. A caller from Coron, Puerto Princesa conveyed a similar complaint against a vessel plying the Puerto Princesa-Batangas route. Nick stressed the irresponsibility of the coast guard officer on duty displaying his 45-caliber pistol - his name was "Sales" for shouting: "dahil lang sa reklamo ng dalawang tao ay maraming napeperwisyo!", never mind if the roro vessel was teeming with passengers who had occupied even the boat's stairs.

A friend from Gasan sent me a text message to inform that it was the same Sales she booked in Gasan sometime back for not allowing a vessel bound for Pinamalayan from Gasan to depart - for the opposite reason! There were only a few passengers onboard, "walang kikitain ang barko", and apparently in cahoots with the boat owner, the same coast guard acted as the owner's spokesperson justifying the cancelled trip thus: "kung ayaw ipabiyahe ng may-ari ay wala tayong magagawa!". My friend said she lost a business contract with somebody in Calapan for her failure to arrive there on that day. All the passengers were sent home - too late to take the longer route via Balanacan-Quezon-Batangas-Mindoro.