Sulpicio to bring to Manila bodies found in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY -- Anticipating the recovery of more bodies in Bicol Thursday with the discovery of at least 115 at mid-sea between Burias Island and Camarines provinces Wednesday night, the Task Force Princess of the Stars will set up a holding area for the recovered bodies in Pasacao, Camarines Sur, an official said.

The Task Force Princess of the Stars will also put up a command post
near the holding area to coordinate the transport of the recovered bodies to Manila, said Raffy Alejandro, Office of Civil Defense director in Bicol.

Alejandro said the Sulpicio Lines, Inc., which owns the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, will dispatch a ship to dock at the Pasacao Port to pick up the bodies and carry them to Manila for identification by their families.

He said Transportation undersecretary Elena Bautista, head of the task
force, instructed local government units not to bury the bodies recovered.

Bautista, in a television interview around 10 p.m. Wednesday, confirmed that 115 bodies were sighted off the shores of Burias Island in Masbate and Camarines Sur.

"We instructed local government officials to report bodies being retrieved to the nearest police station or tap local funeral services available," Alejandro said in a mobile phone interview.

He said the bodies would be gathered in Pasacao town and will be brought to Manila by batches.

Even those temporarily buried on Burias Island might be brought to Pasacao town as well, he added.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said only 48 survivors had been found so far, out of the ferry's 862 passengers and crew on board. As of posting time, 70 fatalities have been recorded and 744 remain unaccounted for.

The Philippine Coast Guard in Bicol reported Wednesday to have
recovered 57 bodies, but only three of which were identified as passengers of the sunken ferry. The rest were from 12 fishing boats and one cargo vessel.

It also reported that 79 survivors were rescued.

Jeffrey Collado, Bicol Coast Guard operations assistant, said fishing boats South Sea, Nicol Louise 2, Fatima, Ludith, Sea Quest, Hagibis 2, Paday, Jisille, Mercury, Eugene, Laura Roldan, and Sweet Angel 1 and cargo vessel M/V Paway all capsized at the height of typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen).

He said 188 persons were still missing from the vessel and boats.