A new measure filed in the House of Representatives seeks to establish an independent body dedicated to investigating maritime and railway accidents to prevent future tragedies.

1Tahanan Party-list Representative Nathaniel Oducado introduced House Bill No. 7521, which would create the Philippine Transport Safety Authority (PTSA).

The proposed agency would serve as a centralized body to address safety gaps in the nation’s transport systems.

According to the bill, the PTSA is intended to streamline what Oducado describes as fragmented and overlapping accident investigations.

The lawmaker noted that the rising number of transport-related accidents has resulted in significant loss of life and economic damage.

“The loss of lives in transport accidents is unacceptable and preventable,” Oducado said. “We need an independent, professional body that will focus on finding the real causes of accidents so we can stop them from happening again.”

Under the proposal, the PTSA would operate independently from existing regulatory and enforcement agencies. Oducado emphasized that the authority's primary mandate would be safety and prevention rather than legal or criminal prosecution.

“Safety investigations should never be about assigning blame, but about protecting lives and strengthening our transport systems,” Oducado said.

The bill aims to promote public trust by ensuring that investigations are conducted with transparency and are insulated from the influence of agencies that oversee transport operations.