Sulpicio faces string of cases over alleged unpaid insurance claims

Already burdened by a slew of multi-million civil suits over the deaths of passengers of the MV Princess of the Stars, owners of the ill-fated vessel faces a new string of charges - this time over alleged unpaid insurance claims.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that the Public Attorney's Office cited information reaching the agency saying that families of more than 500 victims in the tragedy were denied insurance claims.

PAO head Persida Acosta warned Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the capsized ship, that it will face charges of estafa over the non-payment of the insurance claims.

Acosta noted that among those who have applied for the insurance claim, only a few families received insurance payments.

The PAO earlier submitted to the Maritime Industry Authority the testimony of Engineer Nelson Ramirez of the United Filipino Seafarers questioning the seaworthiness of Sulpicio's ships.

On June 21 last year, the MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon at the height of Typhoon Frank.

DOJ asked to compel NBI to release DNA test results of 'Princess' victims

Relatives of the victims of the MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized off Romblon in June last year, have asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to compel government agents to release the identities of some of those who perished in the sea tragedy.

In their nine-page petition, the complainants asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to subpoena the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) so that the results of the DNA tests could be released.

A panel of prosecutors led by Senior State Prosecutor Ma. Emilia Victorio had earlier denied a motion to compel the NBI to release the DNA test results.

The complainants were accompanied by Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta when they filed the petition at the DOJ office in Manila Thursday.

“Why a piecemeal decision? How about the other relatives of those who perished in the tragedy? Other relatives cannot come to Manila since they live in far-flung provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao. This is a crime that has been committed nationwide,” Acosta said.

Acosta said the panel erred when it limited the extent of the subpoena that they requested from the NBI to only 34 victims. The panel said only 34 relatives are entitled for the results since they were the ones who have formally filed a complaint with the DOJ.

Being sought to be subpoenaed were NBI Director Nestor Mantaring, NBI medico-legal officer Dr. Antonio M. Bautista, and other pertinent documents relating to the identification of the victims.

“The documents sought to be produced are evidence material to the case. If not corrected, this will work injustice to all the victims who remain missing or unidentified,” Acosta said.

MV Princess of the Stars, owned by Sulpicio Lines Inc., had more than 800 crewmembers and passengers when it capsized off Sibuyan island in Romblon on June 21, 2008 at the height of typhoon “Frank.”

Acosta said that after determining the actual number of the dead victims, the prosecution and the court will be guided in prosecuting and imposing the appropriate penalty. She likewise asked that the cadavers be preserved for evidentiary purposes.

Named respondents in the case were Sulpicio president Enrique Go; executive vice-president and chief executive officer Carlos Go; senior vice president and secretary, Victoriano Go; first vice presidents Dominador and Edgar Go. Ship captain Florencio Marimon was likewise impleaded in the suit but his name was later dropped following reports that he also perished in the tragedy.

 

by GMANews.TV

Mass burial, cremation eyed for 200 MV Princess of the Stars victims

Remains of the more than 200 “unclaimed" victims the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy are scheduled for mass burial or cremation.

Radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate reported this was the decision reached by the National Bureau of Investigation, the International Police Organization and Cebu City officials.

The NBI disaster identification unit, which worked with an Interpol team to identify remains recovered from the capsized vessel, said the bodies had been at the Cebu port for so long.

Acting Cebu City mayor Michael Rama agreed with the decision after meeting with representatives of the NBI and Interpol, the report said.

On the other hand, they stressed Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the ill-fated vessel, should shoulder the expenses in the mass burial or cremation.

For their part, members of the NBI-Interpol identification team will turn over to the local government the documents and other evidence used to identify the bodies.

The MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon province at the height of Typhoon Frank on June 21 last year. Plans are still being made to remove the shipwreck from the area.

Two cases filed against Sulpicio Lines

CEBU - Civil cases for damages continue to pour in against the Sulpicio Lines Incorporated five months after the MV Princess of the Stars capsized at the height of Typhoon Frank in the seawaters off Sibuyan Island.

A wife of a seaman filed the 35th damage suit against the shipping firm and its corporate officials, demanding more than P17 million in actual and compensatory damages before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City.

Baby Lyn Bejona of barangay Poblacion Dalaguete, Cebu accused the shipping company of being negligent that resulted in the untimely demise of her husband.

Bejona said her husband Pablito was on his way home to Cebu after a medical examination in Manila when the incident happened. Pablito was scheduled to leave for overseas employment.

Though she admitted having received P200,000 and was made to sign a quit claim, Bejona said it was for the insurance benefits of her husband from the Oriental Assurance Corporation.

According to Bejona, the document she signed has no force and effect because it was contrary to morals and public policy.

“Defendants are liable for negligence and breach of contract of carriage when it failed to exercise extraordinary diligence in transporting its passengers to their destination in Cebu,” Bejona said in her petition for damages.

Bejona said her husband was only 39 years old at the time of his death and was earning $1,090.62 monthly or P52,349.76 as overseas seaman.

She said that the shipping company’s negligence has deprived her family P17.2 million, which is the total earnings of her husband that she is demanding to be paid as actual damages.

On top of it, Bejona is likewise demanding P800,000 in moral and exemplary damages, excluding the 20 percent of the total damages to be awarded by the court as attorney’s fee.

A wife of an oiler also filed a multi-million peso damage suit against Sulpicio Lines Incorporated yesterday.

Perlita Sanguenza of Tontonan, Loon Bohol filed a P5.221 million damage suit against the shipping company and the ship captain for the loss of her husband Lucrecio, who is contracted to work as an “oiler” of an international shipping company.

Named defendants were Sulpicio Lines Inc, Ship Captain Florenacio Marimon and its shipping officials SLI President Enrique Go and Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Go.

Victims' kin lament as Sulpicio breaks word on ‘Princess’ salvage job

MANILA, Philippines - Kin of victims who perished in the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy face a bleak Christmas as there are no takers have yet to surface for the last part of the salvage job on the ill-fated vessel.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo admitted Sulpicio Lines Inc. has yet to contract a salvage firm for the last salvage stage.

Tamayo said he has communicated with Sulpicio and reminded it of its promise to get the shipwreck off Romblon before Christmas.

Kin of the victims twitted the ship's owner Sulpicio Lines Inc. for breaking its promise to retrieve their loved ones' remains and get the shipwreck out of the Romblon area before Christmas.

Levi Samuel, a spokesman for the relatives, reminded Sulpicio of its promise earlier this year to retrieve the remains of their loved ones and to remove the shipwreck before Christmas.

The MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon after encountering stormy weather at the height of typhoon Frank last June.

Samuel lamented that Sulpicio chose the last part of the salvage operations to "falter" on its promise.

Earlier, kin of the victims scored the sudden silence of Sulpicio on efforts to retrieve the remains of their loved ones.

Samuel reminded Sulpicio and government authorities of their promise to retrieve the remains of all 500-plus victims from the wreck.

He said some of them had already accepted the possibility the retrieval of remains will not be completed in time for Christmas.

3 PCG officials face jail term for 'MV Princess of the Stars' tragedy

MANILA, Philippines - Three ranking Coast Guard officials face dismissal from the service and a six-year jail term as the Ombudsman endorsed a complaint against them over the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy.

The Office of the Ombudsman said it’s Field Investigation Office (OMB-FIO) endorsed for preliminary investigation the complaint filed against the three.

It identified the respondents as Luis Tuazon, Commander for Metro Manila and Central Luzon; Erwin Balagas, commander for Manila and Felix Rizalde Sardan, Petty Officer I, of the Coast guard Manila station.

"(The three) have acted at the very least gross inexcusable negligence when they failed to perform faithfully the duties they are required to do during the occurrence of typhoon Frank. Their acts caused undue injury to the people of Romblon whose lives and livelihood were gravely affected, to the marine environment whose fragile ecosystem was gravely endangered, to the bereaved families who lost their love ones when MV Princess of the Stars sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon, and above all to public safety and national interest," assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni, chief of the Ombudsman Field Investigation Office said in an article on the Ombudsman website.

The respondents face dismissal from the service and imprisonment for six years if found guilty of the administrative and criminal charges, the Ombudsman said.

The officials were charged with violating the anti-graft law, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

In its report, the OMBFIO said the three did not faithfully perform their duties and responsibilities in the enforcement of maritime safety laws.

It cited PCG Memorandum Circular No. 04-07, which bars vessels from sailing except to take shelter if Public Storm Warning 3 is hoisted within its point of origin, route and point of destination.

Under the circular, the three commanders were responsible for monitoring the prevailing weather conditions and plotting in the weather to chart the forecast position of the typhoon.

The OMBFIO report added that the respondents allowed the vessel to sail for Cebu on 20 June 2008, despite warning signals issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Also, it said they failed to monitor the movement of typhoon Frank and plot the danger sector from the path of the typhoon, which would have made them realize that the MV Princess of the Stars was not moving away but moving toward a collision course with the eye of the typhoon.

 

- GMANews.TV

Coast Guard to fully cooperate in Ombudsman probe into ‘MV Princess of the Stars’ tragedy

MANILA, Philippines - The Coast Guard on Thursday said it will fully cooperate in the Ombudsman's investigation into the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said he has ordered the agency's legal department to prepare documents needed in the investigation.

Tamayo also said he has ordered the officials concerned to prepare themselves for investigation, though he said he has yet to receive a formal summons from the Ombudsman's field investigating office.

The MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon last June 21 at the height of Typhoon Frank.

 

- GMANews.TV

Divers in ‘Princess’ retrieval ops to undergo debriefing

MANILA, Philippines - The 17 divers of salvor firm Harbor Star are set to undergo psycho-debriefing tests Wednesday to ensure that they are free from mental stress for their involvement in search and retrieval operations inside the capsized MV Princess of the Stars in Romblon.

Doctors from the Department of Health (DOH) will conduct the psycho-debriefing procedures at the Harbor Star office in Makati City.

“The purpose of the psycho-debriefing is to assess the health condition of the divers and to make sure that they are not suffering from mental stress,” said Rodrigo Bella, Harbor Star project manager.

Bella said phase two of the operations, which was the removal of the bodies from the ill-fated ship, was “a very unusual experience” for the drivers. The said phase lasted for 16 days wherein 199 bodies were retrieved from the ship.

"They (divers) went through all the possible areas with passengers including the navigational deck, chapel and mini-theater for possible human remains. That is why there is a need for them to undergo a debriefing process," Bella said.

Aside from psycho-debriefing tests, the divers will also be provided two-day vacations courtesy of the company. Bella said this would be done in batches.

MV Princess of the Stars, owned and operated by Sulpicio Lines Inc., capsized off Sibayan Island at the height of typhoon “Frank” last June 21. It was carrying 864 passengers and crews.

Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) chief Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said they would review the report submitted by Harbor Star to ensure that phase two had covered all areas.

"We would evaluate the completion report, to determine if we are satisfied with the phase two."

Tamayo earlier said that even if Harbor Star terminated its search and recovery operations last Nov. 10, he had appealed to Sulpicio Lines Inc. to exhaust all possible means to find other bodies.

"If it is possible, they could still integrate the search for the bodies in phase three," he said, referring to planned retrieval of the main ship from Romblon waters.

 

- GMANews.TV

Sulpicio now blames captain for 'Princess' tragedy

MANILA, Philippines — After blaming God and the weather bureau, the owner of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars now blames its captain for the tragedy that befell the ship last June.

Radio dzBB's Teresa Tavares reported Tuesday evening that Sulpicio Lines, Inc. claimed captain Florencio Marimon Sr. for not making the right decisions in the midst of typhoon Frank.

Marimon is believed to have been among the fatalities in the tragedy, where the ship capsized off Romblon province last June 21.

The officials of Sulpicio, washing their hands off any liability in the tragedy, said it was Marimon's duty to make the right decisions when faced with bad weather at the time.

 

- GMANews.TV

Salvage firm claims ‘MV Princess of the Stars’ operations completed; PCG not satisfied

A salvage firm contracted to retrieve remains of passengers of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars formally reported Monday it has completed its search for victims still trapped in the ship, but still failed to satisfy the Coast Guard.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo instructed Harbor Star to continue searching for remains of passengers aboard the ship.

Harbor Star is the firm contracted by Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the capsized vessel, to retrieve chemicals and remains of passengers from the ship.

Tamayo said he was not satisfied with the 199 passengers recovered by Harbor Star, saying more than 500 were missing when the ship capsized last June at the height of typhoon "Frank."

In its report submitted to Tamayo, Harbor Star said it had searched all possible passengers' spaces, including Decks A, B and C, and the navigation bridge, theater, and dining area.

On the other hand, Tamayo reminded Harbor Star to submit its salvage plans to remove the shipwreck from the Romblon area.

Until the shipwreck is removed, he added, the Coast Guard will keep its oil spill response team at Sibuyan Island in Romblon.

Retrieved bodies from MV Princess in Cebu today

CEBU CITY — Some 127 bodies and body parts retrieved from the capsized MV Princess of the Stars are expected to be brought today to Cebu City from Sibuyan Island in Romblon, authorities said.

Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the city is ready for the arrival of the bodies that were retrieved in the capsized vessel.

He expressed sadness over the fact that the retrieval operation recovered only less than half of the expected 500 bodies trapped in the vessel.

"If the salvaging team decides to end its operations, Sulpicio Lines and other agencies concerned should explain to the families of the still missing victims why the choose to discontinue the retrieval," Rama said.

The salvage company, Harbor Star, said the advanced decomposition of the bodies in the vessel due to sea water made the recovery very hard. The presence of endosulfan also delayed the retrieval operations.

Rama said, however, the city government has already mapped out plans for the arrival of the bodies and body parts that were retrieved from the capsized MV Princess of the Stars.

Rama said Cebuanos need not worry about health concerns with the arrival of the bodies and body parts, noting that the Department of Health (DoH) has assured the city government that the bodies that will be brought to Cebu are not contaminated with the poisonous chemical endosulfan.

"The city is ready, and the DoH has assured us that the bodies are not contaminated and will not pose any health risk to the Cebuanos," said Rama.

The recovered remains will be stored in the mobile morgue facilities prepared by the Disaster Victims Identification (DVI) unit located at the Cebu International Port.

Samples of the recovered bodies would then be sent to Sarajevo, Bosnia for DNA testing to identify the victims.

Supt. Anthony Obenza, chief of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime-Visayas Field Office and PRO 7 information officer, said preparations for the arrival of the dead bodies are already under way.

Meanwhile, Rama advised the families and relatives of those still missing not to travel yet to Cebu pending the identification of the bodies.

Rama said it would be useless for families to go to the port area in Cebu where the mobile morgue is situated because they will not be allowed to enter the compound.

He said relatives and families should instead wait for an official call from the Disaster Victim Identification Team, composed of the International Police and the National Bureau of Investigation, to claim the bodies of their loved ones.

There were 850 passengers and crew members on board when the Stars capsized in the waters off Sibuyan Island in Romblon last June 21. Thirty were reported to have survived the tragedy.

‘MV Princess of the Stars’ salvage firm fails to meet deadline

MANILA, Philippines - A salvage firm retrieving bodies from the capsized MV Princess of the Stars admitted it will no longer be able to meet its Thursday deadline to retrieve all the remaining passengers trapped inside the vessel.

Radio dzBB's Teresa Tavares reported that Harbor Star officials said they still need to scour Deck A of the ill-fated vessel on Friday, a day after the deadline lapses.

The firm said debris got in the way of divers looking for remains to retrieve.

More than 500 passengers remain trapped in the vessel, which capsized off Romblon last June 21 at the height of Typhoon Frank.

As of Thursday noon, the report said the remains of 165 passengers had been retrieved.

Slow pace of ‘MV Princess of the Stars’ retrieval efforts scored

Relatives of missing passengers of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars scored salvage firms Monday for the "slow" pace of retrieving the remains of their dearly departed.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported Monday that Levi Samuel, a spokesman for the relatives, voiced fears salvage firm Harbor Star may not meet its Christmas "deadline" to finish its job.

Samuel said that while more than 600 passengers remain missing to date, noting that only less than 150 have been recovered during the All Saints' weekend.

At such a slow pace, he said it is doubtful that Harbor Star can finish the job within the two weeks it promised to recover the remains of the passengers.

The MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon last June 21 at the height of Typhoon Frank.

PCG: Recovered bodies from ‘Princess’ now at 36

MANILA, Philippines - The number of bodies recovered from the capsized MV Princess of the Stars rose to 36 after divers retrieved the remains of three more victims as retrieval operations continued on its third day.

A radio dzBB report quoted Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo as saying that as of Tuesday afternoon, the number of bodies recovered on Tuesday alone rose to 16, raising the total number of bodies retrieved from the capsized ship to 36.

Divers from salvage group Harbor Star and counterparts from the Coast Guard had been searching the ship since Sunday for remains of more than 500 passengers trapped inside.

Tamayo said he has instructed the divers to search all accommodation spaces, including other decks of the ship, for remains.

"Ginagawa natin ang lahat na paraan (We are doing all we can)," Tamayo said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He also said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has a team on standby to identify bodies that will be retrieved from the capsized vessel.

The Sulpicio Lines-owned MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon last June 21 at the height of typhoon "Frank."

8 bodies inside MV Princess recovered

SIBUYAN ISLAND, Romblon - The recovery of the remains of passengers trapped inside the MV Princess of the Stars started Sunday morning, with the divers fishing out eight bodies.

Rodrigo Bella, project manager of the Harbor Star, the salvor company, said the eight bodies came from the economy deck of the sunken ship.

He said the retrieval operations might take at least two weeks, depending on the weather conditions. The bodies, officials of the NBI said, were in advanced state of decomposition as expected.

But Dr. Renato Bautista, the NBI official in charge of identifying the bodies assured the families of the victims that DNA samples could still be retrieved from the bodies for their identification, despite the remains’ advanced state of decomposition.

“There is no problem getting the DNA sample. We’re trying to get as much as bone samples as possible,” said Bautista.

DNA samples from the bone tissues of the bodies will be collected and sent to a DNA testing center in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. After a few weeks, the results will be sent back to the NBI in Cebu, where the remains would be sent for final identification and retrieval by families.

Bautista is appealing to families to present themselves to the NBI for DNA matching.

The Philippine Coast Guard said that of the missing 515 passengers, it believed that most have been in the sunken ferry.

The MV Princess of the Stars, the flagship of the Sulpicio Lines Inc., sank off Simbulan Island, Romblon, last June 21 at the height of typhoon “Frank.” Only over 30 persons survived, over 200 bodies were recovered from surrounding coastlines and over 500 are expected to be recovered from the sunken ferry.

The Board of Marine Inquiry has recommended the cancellation of SLI’s license to operate passenger and cargo ships for negligence.

Sulpicio OKs retrieval of bodies from ‘Princess’

After several days' delay, the owner of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars finally cleared the way for the retrieval of bodies of passengers still trapped inside the vessel.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported Wednesday that Sulpicio Lines Inc finally submitted to the Philippine Coast Guard a full report and certification that earlier stages of retrieval are finished.

Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said the report includes a formal certification that the retrieval of endosulfan and toxic chemicals had been completed.

Tamayo earlier got irked over Sulpicio's failure to submit its full report on time. The report and certification are needed to pave the way for the retrieval of bodies of passengers still trapped in the capsized ship.

MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon June 21, at the height of Typhoon Frank.

In the interview, Tamayo said the Coast Guard will now determine the stability of the capsized ship after the endosulfan and toxic chemicals had been removed.

He said they need to determine the ship's stability so as not to endanger the lives of divers once they start to retrieve the bodies.

PCG to ‘Princess’ victims' kin: Stay away from retrieval site, wait in Cebu

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday warned relatives of the victims of MV Princess of the Stars against going to the site of the retrieval operations, reiterating that no one is allowed to go beyond the one-kilometer radius limit.

A report over radio dzBB said PCG commandant vice admiral Wilfredo Tamayo made statement amid reports that the relatives' spokesman, Levi Manuel, said the relatives plan to go to the site of the operations to await the retrieval of the victims' bodies.

Tamayo instead advised the relatives to stay and wait in Cebu, where the remains will be brought.

Last week, Tamayo said the retrieval of the bodies may begin Monday after the completion of the toxic waste extraction from the capsized ship.

The Sulpicio Lines-owned MV Princess of the Stars capsized off Romblon last June 21 during the height of typhoon "Frank," leaving hundreds of crew and passengers dead.

‘Princess’ victims' kin plan ‘protest Mass’ at Sibuyan

Kin of victims of the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy are planning a "protest mass" to dramatize their disgust over the slow pace of salvage work on the capsized ship.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported Monday that the relatives' spokesman Levi Samuel said they refused to accept repeated excuses from Sulpicio Lines, owner of the ship.

Samuel also said they are tired of hearing excuses from Transportation Undersecretary Elena Bautista, who heads a task force on the tragedy.

He said they could not understand why Sulpicio is still getting the kid-glove treatment despite repeated delays in the salvaging operations for the ship.

Samuel said they are planning a Mass for the victims on Sibuyan Island in Romblon, near the site of the capsized ship, with running priest Robert Reyes presiding.

"MV Princess" ship captain buried

The family of Boholano ship captain Florencio Marimon Sr. broke their silence on Wednesday as the skipper of the sunken MV Princess of the Stars was laid to rest in Cebu.

Rose Marimon, the wife of Florencio Sr., appealed for understanding from the victims of the sea tragedy saying they "all suffered losses." Rose said the family did not mean to hide the captain but only wanted to mourn in private and spend the past days with Florencio Sr. She said the family was planning to announce her husband's death only after the burial at the Pardo Public Cemetery.

According to Rose, the body of her husband was among 76 remains retrieved in Masbate on July 21, a month after the vessel sank near Sibuyan Island, Romblon at the height of typhoon "Frank".

The body of Florencio Sr., whose roots is from Catagbacan, Loon town, was identified by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) victims' identification team last Sunday.

The DNA of the captain's remains matched those submitted by his relatives. Suspicions that the ship captain was still alive and in hiding ended with his burial last Wednesday.

Florencio Sr., who would have turned 55 in October, was reported to be alive after his family purportedly received a phone call from him informing them that he survived the sea tragedy and was somewhere in Iloilo City the day after the vessel capsized off Romblon.

Marimon had been with Sulpicio Lines Inc., the owner of the Princess of the Stars, since 1976 and rose through the ranks to become on of the shipping firms most trusted skippers.

Rose was accompanied by her five children, two of whom are still in college, during the burial. There were at least 59 Boholanos reported missing after the sinking of the "MV Princess of the Stars".

Capsized 'Princess' starting to sink - report

Nearly three months after it capsized off Romblon in the wake of typhoon Frank, the MV Princess of the Stars is beginning to sink into the water, Romblon residents said Friday.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that San Fernando town mayor Nanette Tansingco said the ship's name is now only partly visible even during low tide, a sign it had started sinking.

Tansingco said this may pose problems for authorities who had taken the ship's position into consideration when they mapped out their initial contingency plans.

She scored the salvage firms contracted by Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the capsized ship, for their continued delay in bringing in their equipment.

Tansingco noted salvage operations were initially due to start last Sept. 1 but had been delayed to at least Sept. 24.

Salvage operations were to concentrate first on getting out chemicals and endosulfan from the ship, so divers can later on retrieve bodies of victims still trapped inside.