FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REr'JlBUC OF THE PHllI~' ) 
tecoAd Ffcgu/ar Session \" 
) 
SENATE 
SENATEBILLNO.35H5 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon and the Members of the Committee 
On Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the Philippines, December may not be a time for tropical storms, but the month holds the 
record of a number of maritime tragedies that reaped over 4,000 lives in the past 25 years. On 
December 20, 1987, MV Dona Paz collided with MT Vector. 
The disaster was considered the 
deadliest ferry disaster in maritime history with more than 4,000 people died. Recently, the country 
experienced a series of maritime tragedies with the sinking of MV Catalyn B on December 24, 
2009, and MV Baleno 9 on December 26, 2009. 
Other sea mishaps include the sinking of MV Dona Marilyn on October 24, 1988; MV 
Princess of the Orient on September 18, 1998; and MV Princess of the Stars on June 21, 2008. On 
May 23, 2009, a small passenger boat Commando 6 capsized. 
Alarmed by the successive maritime tragedies, there is an immediate need to investigate 
these 
maritime 
accidents, 
determine the 
probable 
or 
root 
cause(s) 
thereof, 
issue 
recommendations for maritime safety measures, and a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness of 
government agencies involved in maritime transportation. 
The Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI), an ad-hoc body created to investigate accidents seem 
not to be serving as an efficient investigator: it is ad-hoc and it is manned by people from MARINA 
and PCG, who may themselves partly be at fault for failure to enforce properly the laws and 
regulations related to maritime safety, Quis custodiet ipsos custodies? 
The bill therefore seeks for the creation of an independent National Marine Transportation 
Safety Board that would effectively address these maritime issues and prevent the recurrence of 
these sea tragedies. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
;') r-61 
Sewod Regular Session r) 
SENATE 
SENATE BILL NO. 3595 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon and the Members of the Committee 
On Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations 
AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL MARINE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 
(NMTSB) OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled 
Section 1. Declaration of Policy - The State shall create an indepencjent agency known as 
the National Marine Transportation Safety Board of the Philippines dedicated to promoting marine 
safety, investigating sea disasters and pointing responsibility where such is warranted. 
Section 2. Objective - The Safety Board shall be mandated by Congress to investigate 
marine transportation aCCidents, determine the probable causes of the marine accidents, issue 
safety recommendations, study marine transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety 
effectiveness of government agencies involved in marine transportation. 
The Safety Board shall also be mandated to make public its actions and decisions through 
accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and 
statistical reviews. 
Section 3. Coverage - The Safety BOclrd shall determine the probable cause of: 
a. 
major marine accidents and any marine accident involving a public and a nonpublic 
vessel; and 
b. marine transportation accid[~nts that involve problems of a rewrring nature or are 
catastrophic. 
Section 4. Jurisdiction and Autholcity - The Safety Board shall have the authority to: 
a. 
conduct special studies on marine safety problems; 
b. maintain official Philippin e census of maritime "ccidents; 
c. 
review appeals from me rchant seamen whos(, certificates have been revoked or 
suspended; and 
d. evaluate the effectiveness of emergency respon,;es to maritime accidents. 


Section 5. Subpoena Powers - The Safety Board shall have the power to: 
a. 
issue a subpoena requiring the attendance of any person before the Safety Board 
and for the production of any document or record relevant to the investigation; and 
b. to cause any person contemptuous of any such subpoena to be prosecuted before a 
competent Court. 
Section 6. Composition - The Safety Board shall be composed of five (5) Members who are 
appointed for five-year terms by the President, from a list of recommendees to be submitted by 
the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Department of Interior Local 
Government (DILG). 
At least three (3) Members shall be appOinted on the basis of technical qualification, 
professional standing, and demonstrated knowledge in accident reconstruction, safety engineering, 
human factors, marine transportation safety, or marine transportation regulation. 
The President shall appoint, from the same list above, a Chairman of the Board. The 
President shall also designate a Vice Chairman of the Board. The terms of office of both the 
Chairman and Vice Chairman are two (2) years. When the Chairman is absent or unable to serve or 
when the position of Chqirman is vacant, the Vice Chairman acts as Chairman. 
Section .7. Implementing Rules and Regulations -
The necessary rules and regulations 
needed to implement the proVisions of this Act shall be promulgated within ninety (90) days after 
the approval of this Act. 
Section 8. Repealing Clause ,-
All laws, decrees, executive orders, department or 
memorandum orders and other admin istrative issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act are hereby modified, superseded or repealed accordingly. 
Section 9. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation in the Philippines. 
Approved,