SuperFerry 9: No Stranger to danger

The fate of SuperFerry 9, owned by Aboitiz Transport System, is not entirely a surprise. The vessel, which sank off Zamboanga Sunday morning had already encountered several mishaps in the past. Last May, SuperFerry 9 was stranded off the coast of Camiguin province for more than 12 hours due to engine problems. (See: SuperFerry ship with 900 passengers stranded off Camiguin) In February 2007, the ship conked out southwest of Daog Point on Negros Island while on its journey from Bacolod City to Iligan City in Mindanao. Engine problems were also blamed for the interruption. It needed another ship to haul the ill-fated SuperFerry 9 to shore. (See: SuperFerry stalls near Negros) A year earlier, the vessel was stranded near Masbate in April, pointing to a cracked engine cylinder head as the cause of the engine trouble. After it was repaired, the replacement cylinder suffered a leak on the same day while crossing Romblon waters. (See: SuperFerry 9 passengers finally arrive at South Harbor) The series of incidents provoked the Maritime Industry Authority to revoke the SuperFerry 9’s safety certificate in 2007, ordering the company to keep the ship docked to perform appropriate repairs. (See: SuperFerry 9 operations halted over safety issues) SuperFerry 9 is not the only Aboitiz-owned ship that faced troubles in recent years. In early 2007, the Palawan-bound ship Our Lady of Medjugorje was stalled as its lube oil pump broke down, disabling its engine. The vessel was drifting off to the South China Sea before rescue ships could pull the ship to harbor, ending the 60-hour ordeal of those aboard. Another Aboitiz vessel, SuperFerry 12, caught fire in March 2006 off Bantayan Island in Cebu. Three people, under the suspicion of arson, were arrested after the incident. – MELISSA DE LOS SANTOS, GMANews.TV