KIKO ASSAILS CALLOUSNESS OF SULPICIO LINES, CALLS ON SWIFT PROSECUTION AND CONVICTION OF THE GUILTY

Senate Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan today assailed the callousness of the shipping company Sulpicio Lines following the latest maritime disaster in the country and called for the swift dispensation of justice for the victims and their loved one.

"To respond to the public clamor for information about the accident by saying that they too are interested in securing information about the boat because it is a very expensive boat is the height of callousness and insensitivity. It is prima facie proof of the lack of concern over the plight of the victims and their families. We are talking here of families broken forever by this tragedy and we this condemnable response from Sulpicio Lines," Kiko lamented.

"We have witnessed so many maritime disasters on our seas and the process of getting justice for the victims and their loved one is very slow. We need to speed up our justice system to instill fear and respect for the rule of law among negligent and unscrupulous shipping operators. The reason why there is little respect for the rule of law, and therefore the repeat of negligence among these shipping lines, is because being made before the law takes such a long time. We need to execute a swift prosecution and conviction of the guilty on this case," Kiko added.

"This latest tragedy, the Aby Sayyaf kidnappings and other problems that we have repeatedly experience, this lawlessness is brought about by the lack of justice and the rule of law. It is for this reason that we are continuously advocating the strengthening of the rule of law by channeling more attention on the judiciary, filling up the vacancies of our courts and other strategies that will help bring justice faster where it is due. If we are to strike fear in the powerful and the mighty who wish to disregard our laws with impunity, we need to institute the long-term solution of fortifying our justice system," Kiko ended.