I join Senator Aquino in his call for full accountability of government in what has become for the country a dismal enforcement of maritime laws, leading to recurrent accidents and deaths every year. All these could have been well prevented had authorities learned from grave mistakes in the recent past, notably the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars.

Frequent maritime accidents owing to official negligence or weak enforcement of laws are indicative of a leadership that flouts or disregards accountability--from cheating to lying to stealing. When government keeps getting away with wrongdoing and negligence, a wrenching loss of lives in fatal accidents--maritime or otherwise--will continue to happen. For an archipelago, this becomes even more appalling.