The Good Samaritan at sea

Adrift and lost in the Atlantic Ocean for nearly two days, American sailor Stuart Bee grabbed a second chance at life when Filipino sailors found and rescued him 86 miles from the shore of Port Cavernal in Florida. The 62-year old Bee was found hanging on to the bow of his ship, clinging to dear life and hoping for rescue.

A similar story of succor at sea also happened in October 2023 off the coast of the island of Helgoland in Germany. The luxury cruise ship Iona was diverted to assist in rescue operations after two cargo vessels collided, with one of the two vessels sinking in the North Sea. All 22 people on board the Polesie were rescued unharmed, while the seven-men crew of the other cargo ship Verity lost one, two were rescued and four were reported missing at the time of the tragedy.

These stories bring us to a reiteration of Senate Bill 1388 or the Good Samaritan at Sea Law which I introduced in October of year 2022. The bill aims to establish the rules on the duty to render assistance in times of distress and emergencies at sea. Surrounded by water from all corners, our country is both vulnerable and strategically positioned to respond to accidents and emergencies within our maritime boundaries. Senate Bill 1388 aims to strengthen maritime safety and prevent loss or damage to people’s lives and properties while travelling at sea.

The Good Samaritan at Sea Law states that sea vessels which are capable of responding to calls by other ships in distress are obligated to proceed with speed to assist, but only without endangering the responding ship, its crew and passengers. The bill was likewise crafted to penalize those who unreasonably fail to render assistance to persons in distress at sea or those whose failure to respond further jeopardized lives and endangered properties.

Philippine sea territories are greatly challenged now more than ever by “distress” of all kinds. Legislation, not only the Good Samaritan at Sea Law, should be in place to strengthen maritime safety and security. Apart from our moral obligation to help those in need anywhere and at all times, emerging challenges in our water boundaries should be addressed with laws that affirm our commitment and obligation to the international community to guarantee maritime safety and safeguard lives and properties.