Bicol Roro operators flag vessel misdeclaration, urge Marina probe

The Bicol Roro Shipping Operators Association (BRSOA) has formally asked the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into what it described as a systemic practice by certain shipowners of under-reporting vessel gross tonnage (GT) and engine propulsion output.

In a letter to Marina Administrator Sonia Malaluan obtained by the Daily Tribune, the BRSOA, through its legal counsel Atty. Lyndon Ancajas Jr., said the alleged malpractice appears designed to place vessels in lower regulatory categories, allowing operators to skirt stricter safety and manning requirements and to reduce statutory fees owed to government agencies.

The association submitted examples and supporting documents and urged Marina to exercise its authority to confirm the findings.

“Accurate declaration of a vessel’s size and engine power is fundamental to seaworthiness, correct manning, proper safety equipment, and equitable fee assessment,” Ancajas said. “If the allegations are proven, passengers and crew are being placed at unacceptable risk while compliant operators and the State incur unfair losses.”

The group cited numerous large landing craft tank (LCT) cargo vessels, many of which are now carrying passengers, showing significant discrepancies between their actual and reported specifications.

BRSOA said these discrepancies cannot be dismissed as clerical mistakes, pointing instead to a deliberate strategy to misdeclare both gross tonnage and engine output. The practice, it added, undermines mandatory safety, manning, and equipment standards, while also depriving the government of rightful revenues from fees such as annual coastwise license charges and other port dues.

The association alleged that the systemic malpractice is possible only through collusion between shipowners and their chosen classification societies, with the acquiescence or cooperation of erring Flag State employees.

In its formal request, the BRSOA asked Marina to:
• Conduct immediate physical inspections and a comprehensive audit of the vessels on its master list to verify actual tonnage and engine specifications against declared records.
• Suspend passenger-carrying operations of misdeclared vessels until documentation is corrected, vessels are reclassified, and operators comply with all safety, manning, and equipment standards.
• Engage the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and other authorities to investigate the possible role of certain foreign shipbuilders in facilitating the alleged misdeclaration scheme.

The BRSOA said it has supplied Marina with a master list and supporting documents and is prepared to cooperate fully with any official probe.

The association represents roll-on/roll-off and inter-island ferry operators serving the Bicol Region. Its members affirmed their commitment to passenger safety, regulatory compliance, and the protection of fair competition and public revenues.