The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has been asked to investigate large landing craft tanks (LCT) being used to carry passengers by unscrupulous shipowners that pass off such cargo vessels as ferry.

In its request for investigation submitted to Marina Administrator Sonia Malaluan, the Bicol Roro Shipping Operators Association (BRSOA) claims that certain shipowners are under-reporting vessel gross tonnage (GT) and engine propulsion output to place vessels in lower regulatory categories not subject to stricter safety and manning requirements and to reduce statutory fees charged by government agencies.

In the letter to Malaluan, a copy of which was shared to the DAILY TRIBUNE, verifiable examples and supporting documentation were included that Marina was asked to confirm.

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

According to the BRSOA, discrepancies in the actual and reported specifications of vessels cannot be dismissed as clerical errors, warning that deliberate under-declaration undermines mandatory safety, manning, and equipment standards.

Moreover, under-reporting statutory fees, including annual coastwise license charges to Marina, and other port dues based on a vessel’s gross tonnage results in underpayment of such fees and deprives government agencies of rightful revenue.

It added that the systemic malpractice has been perpetrated through collusion between certain shipowners and their chosen classification societies, with the acquiescence or cooperation of erring flag state employees.

The Association provided a master list of vessels that should be physically inspected and comprehensively audited to verify their actual tonnage and engine specifications against declared records.

Correction and reclassification of misreported vessels should be done by suspending operation of such ship until their owners fully comply with all applicable safety, manning and equipment standards.

Also, the group asked Marina to investigate shipbuilder complicity by prompting the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant authorities to investigate the possible role of certain foreign shipbuilders in any misdeclaration scheme.

The Association said it stands ready to fully cooperate with Marina with any official investigation.

The BRSOA represents roll-on/roll-off and inter-island ferry operators serving the Bicol region.

The call of BSROA came after Marina announced that it is considering increasing sanctions and fines for domestic shipping companies that fail to comply with its standards and regulations, as Malaluan admitted that existing penalties are too small and ineffective.

She said the most common violations found during inspections are related to safety, including defective life vests, outdated fire extinguishers, and poor vessel condition.