The Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) has formed a body which will conduct random inspection and audit of vessels in efforts to prevent maritime disasters.

Undersecretary for Maritime Transport, Thompson Lantion, who heads the newly formed “Task Force Gabay at Tagapagligtas sa Karagatan (GTKTF)”, said the body will conduct random safety inspection of all Philippine registered ships in the domestic trade to ensure that maritime safety standards are maintained in a bid to address the concerns of the public regarding the safety of all maritime passengers and cargoes.

“The inspection/audit will cover passenger and cargo ships below and above 500 GT, tankers and other ships plying the domestic route.  This will also include Roll-On Roll-Off vessels,” he said in a statement.

Lantion said the body that was created through a Department Order No. 2010-01, the task force will have two inspection/audit teams headed by the Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Deputy Administrator for Operations of Maritime Industry Authority.

“The members are composed of highly trained and qualified personnel from the DoTC Investigation, Security, and Law Enforcement Service (ISLES), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Cebu Ports Authority (CPA), and Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA),” he said. (JC Bello Ruiz)