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WASHINGTON D.C.--After ordering an investigation, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants the Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars, to be held accountable for the tragedy.
"We are holding the ferry company accountable to ensure that we find how this ferry tragedy could have occurred so we can take steps to make sure it never happens again," she said before a meeting with the US-ASEAN Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce held at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel here Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Manila).
Her statement came after she ordered a thorough investigation of the ferry tragedy in Romblon province that killed a number of people.
While in the US for a 10-day working visit, the President has been monitoring the developments on the ground, getting updates from her people back home.
"I have been accused of being a hands-on President and rightly so," she said.
"We have been coordinating disaster relief and aid from allies here in Washington and around the world. We have a very able government team directing the response on the ground," she further said.
Arroyo said she would visit the areas affected by Typhoon "Frank" (international codename: Fengshen) as soon as she returns from her US trip.
"We will do everything possible to aid in the clean up, provide disaster relief and bring comfort to the families of the victims," she said.
The President reiterated her appreciation for the US government's support in search-and-rescue operations for the missing victims.
The United States, she said, was one of the first nations to offer assistance after the "devastation" caused by the typhoon and the ferry accident.
