A lawmaker has urged concerned House committees to investigate the events surrounding the tragic sinking of the motorboat Aya Express in Binangonan, Rizal, which killed 27 people and left six others missing.
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, has filed House Resolution 1159 which directs an "appropriate House committee" to investigate the incident that happened on July 27.
According to Barzaga, the investigation would focus on the liability of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as the incident was "obviously due to overloading."
"Survivors said the boat carried heavy cargoes such as motorcycles and sacks of sand and rice. The manifest stated there were only 22 passengers and three crew members," he said.
Moreover, the resolution calls on concerned House committees to investigate the PCG, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), as well as the Municipal Government of Binangonan, to review their responses to the threats of Super Typhoon Egay.
Barzaga cited reports quoting PCG chief Admiral Artemio Abu stating that the Coast Guard did not investigate the boat since the manifest showed statistics that did not exceed the permissible number of passengers and cargo.
"As such, the boat was allowed to sail," Abu reportedly said.

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