The Code of Omerta

According to Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia in the internet, Omertà implies “the categorical prohibition of cooperation with state authorities or reliance on its services, even when one has been victim of a crime.”[2] Even if somebody is convicted for a crime he has not committed, he is supposed to serve the sentence without giving the police any information about the real criminal, even if that criminal has nothing to do with the Mafia himself. Within Mafia culture, breaking omertà is punishable by death.
To insiders and outsiders, the code of omerta is also known as the code of silence. This mafia code, however, has evolved since it was adopted by crime syndicates in Europe particularly in Sicily and other parts of Italy during the 16th century. Because the code has benefited much of the mafia bosses and the criminal organizations they belong, it became the epitome for others to follow the code through which the authorities themselves adopted it as part of their strict implementations of certain rules.

The code of omerta, however, did not only made inroad in the inner structure but it influenced governments, military organizations, school fraternities and street gangs and the corporate or business community especially the shipping industry. Governments anywhere in the world had perfected the code of omerta, giving rise to the many anomalies and killings committed by despots and rogue states.

The military organizations, known for their strict discipline and code of honor, have easily adopted and honed the code of omerta. Soldiers are required to adhere and strictly follow the code. The one that “what you hear, what you see, leave it here,” kind of dictum, or the explicit “see no evil, hear no evil” explanation. Clearly, the principle and philosophical aspect of omerta is what bind the military to the code of silence.

Fraternities, gangs and the shipping industry were equally in good rankings among the followers of the Mafia code. They have the same thinking and inclination towards the code of omerta which protects their interests and standings in a place they called theirs. To glean on the background of fraternities and gangs make us understand that their version of the code of omerta is for stronger brotherhood but sometimes fatalistic in nature.

On the other hand, the shipping industry is more than a follower of the Mafia code. For those who may not know, the shipping industry is the Taliban version of the business sector. They do not only strictly adhere to the dictum of the code of omerta but they are enforcing the more severe form of gag order to all seafarers particularly on ratings and junior officers.

In other words, the shipping industry mostly in tanker, bulk, cargo and other vessels with the same operations usually do not conform to the United Nations Human Rights Convention of protecting the basic human rights of all citizens of the world. According to a local TV report which was aired months ago, most of the time, seafarers were experiencing gag orders from the higher ups.

Just like in any government, military and other sectors, shenanigans are prevalent in the shipping industry. Nobody is allowed to bring up issues that concern the operations of the vessel, more so on LPG Tanker vessel. Anyone found guilty of breaking the code of omerta is dealt with severely, either by suspension or revocation of contract. There’s no Ifs or Buts. The “see no evil, hear no evil” is the standard rule and applies to all ratings and some officers.

I, myself have suffered the fate of rudeness after I posted articles regarding my experience in my short stint as a crew of an LPG Tanker based in Singapore. I was ordered by the shipping agency to delete 4 of my articles to which I complied. I took it as a mere gesture of propriety. But most of seafarers actually fear of losing employment that is why they too had become the accidental followers of the code of omerta. Obviously, bigots and oppressive people are really hard to crack.

ANCHORS AWEIGH!!!

Anchors aweigh! This is what usually heard during anchor operation when the ship’s anchor had already cleared the seabed and after which the vessel start to move away after staying for a certain period of time in a place where it was safely anchored. Normally, anchor operation is a task initiated by a deck officer assisted by ratings on duty with proper coordination in the bridge headed by the Captain.
As the word implies “Anchors Aweigh” means not only about to sail away but it connotes different meanings or understanding. Bad and good impressions go with the word. First, precedence of good impression is when the Captain himself is true to himself and broadminded. He takes full control of himself and his subordinates with kindness and respect.
And that’s what Captain Jessie Juanico did during the time when I was one of his ratings who witnessed and approved his leadership aboard LPG Tanker Minorca. He put in high regard the interests of his men and the ship itself. Thus the men anchored their trust and confidence to Captain Juanico and together they hollered “Anchors Aweigh” and sailed in unison.
Like in any other story, good times come and go, and so with seafaring. The Captain signed-off after his contract ended. Showing the quality of an officer and a gentleman, Captain Jessie Juanico turned-over his command to the incoming Captain, also from the Philippines.
At first the situation remained normal until suddenly, at the snap of a finger the ship’s aura turned dark. The precedence of bad impression ultimately filled the ship’s atmosphere. The new Captain intentionally has shown his arrogance and egotistic behavior of exaggerated sense of importance and superiority to all his subordinates. Worse, he made it hard for all crews to suffer without fresh water and letting them to use yellowish/rusty water for their daily needs. And shore leave was rare, prompting subordinates to express disapproval.
The Captain’s brand of leadership and doctrine lacks propriety but then seafaring is like any other military establishment where the chain of command always being followed, even if wrongs are part of it. And when everybody hears “Anchors Aweigh” all are up and about to sail with the Master and no questions ask.
The photo shows Captain Jessie Juanico supervises fire drill at the poop deck.

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SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA

Life at sea is not only about performing tasks in a daily basis so much so with shore leave where sailors spend their free time gallivanting or slouching somewhere and purposely have their hard earned dollars slipped out of their hands so easily especially on girls who works as the “sailors’ delight.”
Besides, life at sea is a matter of being serious, brave, skillful, sense of alertness and every sailor knows his duties and responsibilities in case of emergency. To maintain the kind of preparedness at all time, officers and crew conduct regular trainings as per SOLAS 74 rules and regulations suggest.
Shipboard emergencies require different preparation and solution but the one that every sailor anxious is the abandon ship emergency. When general alarm sounded together with public address by the captain (with some exception though), abandon ship follows. And this is why boat drill is always conducted to familiarize all officers and crew in case of abandon ship emergency.
In the pictures, actual boat drill was conducted by the officers and crew of M.T. Minorca off the coast of Vung Tau Vietnam last 2009. The boat drill is not easy to execute. Many a disaster happened especially in lowering the boat from the davit.
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