Damage claims against Sulpicio now total P227 M, says PAO

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) reported that government lawyers have already filed 20 suits in behalf of the relatives of the victims of M/V Princess of the Stars’ sinking against ship owner Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) with claims totaling P227,366,688.

PAO-Central Visayas director Ma. G-Ree Calinawan said the claims for moral and exemplary damages exclude fees for the lawyers of the victims’ families.

The Cebu-bound Princess of the Stars capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon at the height of typhoon “Frank” last June 21.

Of the more than 800 passengers and crew on board, only about 32 survived. More than 200 bodies were recovered and about 500 victims are still missing, their bodies believed trapped inside the sunken ship.

Calinawan said the families of some of the ship’s crewmembers are also set to file a multimillion-peso damage suit against SLI.

PAO said the largest claim against SLI amounts to P51.680 million, being sought by the family of seaman Dennis Anit.

Calinawan said PAO had filed a motion for the consolidation of the cases raffled off to 16 salas of the Cebu City regional trial court (RTC).

She said only three judges though approved PAO’s motion for consolidation.

‘Return to sender’

Environmentalists pressed the government yesterday to immediately “return to sender” the packs of the toxic chemical endosulfan to ensure their sound disposal, once these are recovered from the sunken Princess of the Stars.

BANtay Endosulfan, a non-government group monitoring the ongoing retrieval operation, said the chemicals must immediately be returned to Israel “in the interest of public health and safety.”

“We urge Del Monte Philippines Inc. (owner of the endosulfan shipment) to prepare and proceed with its plan of shipping back the dangerous chemicals to its Israeli manufacturer,” said Manny Calonzo of the Ecological Waste Coalition (EcoWaste), a partner of BANtay Endosulfan.

In a letter to EcoWaste last Sept. 11, Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista said Del Monte, “as consignee and supposed owner of the cargo, intends to ship back said chemical to its manufacturer in Israel.”

Bautista told reporters yesterday the retrieval of the endosulfan cargo is expected to be finished in five to six days if the weather permits.

So far, SLI’s salvor Titan Salvage is recovering almost 50 packs of endosulfan – of the total 400 packs – a day.

Bautista said they are happy with the work of Titan Salvage and its local affiliate, Harbor Star.

Meanwhile, Bautista said in her letter to BANtay Endosulfan that since there is an ongoing court case between Del Monte and SLI concerning the shipment, the chemicals could be placed under court custody while the lawsuit is being heard.

Bautista, who also heads Task Force Princess of the Stars, said the court would subsequently assign a warehouse where the chemicals would be temporarily stored, which will be approved by the Environmental Management Bureau of Department of Environment and Natural Resources. – Katherine Adraneda, Rainier Allan Ronda