[ Act No. 3583, November 27, 1929 ]

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT, TWELVE HUNDRED AND TWELVE HUNDRED ONE OF ACT NUMBERED TWENTY-SEVEN HUNDRED AND ELEVEN, KNOWN AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED IS HEREBY FURTHER AMENDED SO AS TO READ AS FOLLOWS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:

SECTION 1. Section eleven hundred ninety-eight of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, known as the Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby further amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 1198. Marine investigation and suspension or revocation of marine certificates.—For the purpose of investigating marine accidents or charges preferred and filed with the Insular Collector of Customs, or with the Collector of Customs of any subport, there shall be maintained in the Bureau of Customs at Manila a Board of Marine Inquiry to consist of five members to wit: The Surveyor of the Port as chairman, one master mariner and one chief engineer of the Division of Hulls and Boilers, Bureau of Customs, and one master mariner and one chief engineer of the Philippine merchant marine who shall not belong to the qualified Civil Service and who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Finance. The two latter members shall receive a per diem of twenty-pesos for each day of not less than seven hours of service rendered in connection with such marine investigations. Such Board shall have the power to investigate into the professional conduct of marine officers, giving the party affected an opportunity to be heard in his defense, and the decision of the Insular Collector of Customs based upon the findings and recommendations of the Board, by which any marine certificate may be suspended or cancelled account of misconduct, intemperate habits, or inattention to duty, shall be final unless appealed to the Department Head shall approve or modify such decision. Rules and regulations governing the procedure of marine investigations shah be promulgated by the Secretary of Finance: Provided, That the Insular Collector of Customs may with the approval of the Secretary of Finance, authorize collectors of customs to appoint boards for the purpose of investigating marine accidents or charges preferred against marine officers in their respective districts. The proceedings of such investigations together with the findings and recommendations of said boards shall be submitted, through the Insular Collector of Customs, to the Board of Marine Inquiry Manila for final review and recommendation: Provided, further, That, in order to safeguard lives and properties at sea, a collector of customs may withhold clearance of any Philippine vessel whenever he has cogent motives to fear for the mental condition or capacity, whether permanent or otherwise, of her master, mate or engineer under investigation, pending the final results thereof." 

SEC. 2. Section twelve hundred of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, known as the Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby further amended so as to read as follows:   

"'SEC. 1200. Fees for issuance of certificates.—Any person to whom any certificate as master, mate, patron or engineer is issued, upon examination or by way of exchange, shall pay:   

"For a certificate as master, sixty pesos.   

"First, second, and third mates, and major patron, forty pesos.   

"Chief marine engineer, sixty pesos.   

"Second, third, and fourth marine engineers, forty pesos.  

"Chief motor engineer, sixty pesos.   

"Second, third, and fourth motor engineers, forty pesos.   

"Bay, river and lake motor engineer and patrons, thirty pesos." 

SEC. 3. Section twelve hundred one of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, known as the Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby further amended so as to read as follows:   

"SEC. 1201. Compensation of members of the Board of Marine Examiners.—The members of the Board of Marine Examiners shall each receive a per diem of twenty pesos for every day of not less than seven hours service rendered in connection with their duties as marine examiners: Provided, That no member shall receive more than one thousand eight hundred pesos for the whole work in connection with each examination."  

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 

Approved, November 27, 1929.

Source: Supreme Court E-Library