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

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

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.

‘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.

He clung to a piece of wood

The 41-year-old truck driver of Norkis Group of Companies was one of the first survivors to surface from the wreck of mv Princess of the Stars. He was found alive on Sibuyan island hours after the ship sank.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Gica returned home to his family.

He said there are two things he will always remember about his ordeal: the piece of wood that kept him afloat and the fisherman who pulled him to shore.

But when Gica, along with two other Norkis employees, boarded MV Princess of the Stars in Manila on June 20, he said the weather was still warm. There was no sign of the storm.

It was “a beautiful night,” Gica said in Bisaya.

He said he and his companions had a good sleep on their individual bunks inside the enclosed, air-conditioned tourist area, second from the top floor.

When they woke up at 6:00 a.m. the next day, the ship was already near Romblon. Gica said they had a pleasant breakfast in what he described was a beautiful morning.

Strong waves began rocking the ship at 8:30 a.m. But because the swaying eventually ceased, the sea marshals assured them they were safe.

“Huwag na kayo mag-alala; nalampasan na ang bagyo (Don’t worry, we’ve passed the storm),” Gica quoted the sea marshals as saying.

An hour later, however, the waves picked up again. This time, the ship’s rocking did not stop.

From 9:30 a.m. until noon, Gica said, the wind was very strong and the waves rose higher than the ship. The waves were as big as houses, he said.

This prompted the ship’s crew to advise passengers to wear life vests at 10:00 a.m. According to Gica, there were about 100 passengers in the 5th floor tourist-class room and each of them had a life vest on.

At 11:30 a.m., the crew asked the passengers to get out of their cabins and bunks. Gica and his companions went out of the tourist room to the balcony outside.

Some passengers, especially the women and the elderly, however, feared going outside. The wind was so strong it swept them away. An old woman slipped on the wet
floor and hit her head on the railing. The fall caused the back of her head to bleed.

Gica said that even if one side of the ship began to sink, the ship’s engine and electricity were still functioning.

And as the ship slowly sank, life rafts were released, prayers were said and screams for help rang out from the different floors of the vessel.

When Gica and his two companions jumped, the sea was already filled with passengers.

Gica saw a plank of wood painted blue that looked like a piece from one of the vessel’s benches. He and his companions clung to it but a wave separated them.
He later found the wood again, but not his companions.

He also found an old woman and shared the plank of wood with her. Another wave hit them and when he saw her again, she was already dead.

Gica said he floated on the piece of wood and hoped the waves would bring him to shore. Countless times, a wave pushed him underwater but he surfaced because of his life vest. Each time he surfaced after being submerged, he would find the plank of wood.

After five hours of floating, Gica saw the mountains of Sibuyan, and a wave slammed him against a rock. Though he sustained a deep cut in the forehead, he clung to the rock because he already felt like fainting.

That was when a fisherman, who lived in a little hut in Sibuyan, found him and dragged him ashore.

The fisherman fed him, though the only food he had was a bit of rice. Gica said he gobbled up the food even if it had already started to spoil.

The fisherman dressed him and let him sleep. But Gica said he could not rest, because whenever he closed his eyes, he would cry and see the bodies of the sunken vessel’s passengers.

Police brought him the next day to the Sibuyan mayor’s house.

Gica never got the fisherman’s name, but said he gave him the dark blue Norkis sweatshirt that he had worn, since the fisherman said he liked to wear sweatshirts while fishing.

But while Gica’s wife, Morena, was all smiles to sit beside her husband yesterday afternoon, Chona Tuston fainted at the Cebu City Sports Complex upon learning that
her husband Arnulfo’s body was found dead in San Pascual.

She received a text message from an unidentified person, whom she and her sister called up.

The person said Arnulfo’s corpse was found and in one of his pockets was her cellphone number. He was also wearing a wedding ring engraved “Chona”.

“Bahala namatay, basta napalgan na (Even if he’s dead, at least he has been found),” Chona said when she recovered.

While Morena thanked God for her husband’s “second life”, Chona said she was grateful that, at least, she has received “clarity” and a body to claim.

Yesterday, five other survivors of the sinking arrived in Cebu: Jonathan Pendon, Exuterio Pendon, Danilo Templenza, Renato Lanurias, and Rico Padin.

Yesterday morning, a man’s body was found off the waters of an island near Daanbantayan. Police, however, have yet to find out whether the corpse is that of one of the missing passengers of Princess of the Stars.

A group of fishermen aboard a small fishing boat found the body off Isla de Gato in Daanbantayan. They brought the body to the nearby Cinatarcan Island off Sta. Fe town. They arrived in Cinatarcan at about 10 a.m.

Vilma Dawa, barangay captain of Hagdan in Cinatarcan, said they had no choice but to bury the corpse because it was already in a state of decomposition and they did
not want to risk health problems if they waited any longer.

However, they took note of his features.

The man was reportedly wearing a white T-shirt, was down to his underwear and had a wedding band on his finger.

They also took photographs of the man.

Rolando Villacarlos, Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President of Sta. Fe, said they made sure the burial ground was not too deep in case the man is identified and claimed by his family.

Villacarlos, also the barangay captain of Langob in Cinatarcan Island, said the man was barely recognizable as his body was bloated.

He said they could not yet ascertain if he was one of the victims of the sunken Sulpicio liner or one of those who were declared missing after Typhoon Frank struck.

Dawa and Villcarlos had to travel to Sta. Fe town to have the incident reported to the Sta. Fe Police Station.

Passengers scrambled for rafts on doomed ferry

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Passengers and crew pushed and shoved for precious space on life-rafts minutes before Princess of the Stars capsized in typhoon-whipped waters in the central Philippines last weekend.

But Jesus Gica was wise enough not to join the fray.

After seeing how overloaded the dinghies were, the truck driver figured he'd have more luck jumping straight into the water.

"There was chaos and confusion," Gica, 41, told Reuters from his home in Mandaue city, on the central island of Cebu, on Thursday.

"Children were crying, the women were screaming and most of the men were rushing to leave the ship."

When the seven-storey passenger ferry left Manila on Friday night, conditions were calm.

Typhoon Fengshen was forecast to sweep the east of the archipelago and swing back out into the Pacific Ocean. Instead, it lurched westward, right through the centre of the country towards the ferry with gusts of up to 195 kph.

On Saturday morning, the weather turned ferocious and waves taller than the near-24,000 tonne vessel slammed into the ferry. In the lower-deck economy cabins, people took to their beds.

A crew member ordered everyone to put on life-vests. Less than half an hour after the vessel started listing, it capsized.

In the stampede for life-rafts, most of the women, children and elderly were left behind.

"They were afraid to leave because of the strong winds and gigantic waves. They all went down with the ship," said Gica.

"I wore two life vests and waited for the water level to rise before jumping into the water," he said.

Dozens of people were floating all around him but each time a wave smacked in, fewer and fewer of them would return to the surface.

He grabbed on to a piece of wood and held on for six hours before he was washed ashore. A fisherman fed him and gave him warm clothes.

"This is my second life. I owe it to God for giving me the strength and faith to survive," he said.

He repaid the fisherman with 1,000 pesos ($23) and the shirt he was wearing in the water.

"It was a souvenir for his heroism."

Ferry disaster passengers tell of their struggle to survive

Survivors from the Philippines ferry disaster have told how they clung to a life-raft for 22 hours in treacherous seas before coming ashore "paralysed with exhaustion".

Just 50 people are believed to have escaped with their lives after The Princess of Stars, with 862 people on board, capsized and sank on Saturday after sailing into the centre of Typhoon Fengshen.

Most of those recovering at hospital in Lucene were on a single inflatable life-raft. Among them was Jimmy Relativo, 26, who was travelling with his pregnant 22-year-old fiancée Roselyn Ligan to get married at her home.

"Before noon we heard screaming and we felt that the boat was capsizing," he said, dazed and emotionless. "Everyone was panicking and the boat tipped over. I was saying 'jump!', but I slipped and went into the water without her."

"I tried to look for her," he said. "I was calling her name but I didn't see her. There were many people in the water. I saw children without life vests. They were screaming, crying, and I was also crying because I was thinking about my fiancé. In the lifeboat I was still praying that I would see my fiancée."

He has since heard that a pregnant woman has been found alive. "I don't want to get my hopes up," he said.

Vincente Bernas, a 59-year-old electrician, was with his son Vincent, 25, when the ferry sank. He had life jacket, but Vincent was not as lucky.

"I told Vincent 'we have to jump'," recalled Mr Bernas, with suppressed emotion.

The rain was so hard, he said, that even at midday he could hear shouts but not see who was shouting.

"I was looking for something to hold on to. I saw a life raft and went inside looking for my son, but I did not see him."

Also on the raft was Susan Lisbo, 43, an unemployed woman travelling with her missing niece to a festival. "The first raft I reached I shouted 'Help! Help!' but nobody helped me," she said. She was pulled aboard a second raft – it was a twist of fate that saved her life.

The first life raft did not make it to safety. But on board the second a group of merchant seamen, veterans of long voyages to such distant ports as Liverpool, saved the occupants with their skill.

"That was the success of our struggle," said Miss Lisbo, "that we maintained the rubber boat even though the waves were as big as a house."

For 22 hours, sitting in waste deep water, they frantically bailed out the inflatable craft with their shoes while the sailors taught them how to balance the weight. They were cut and bruised as the storm hurled them against one another.

"We just applied our knowledge from the training we have," said one of the sailors, Rey Padin, 31.

Eventually the life-raft capsized 30 yards from the shore. "That was the hardest time for me," said Miss Lisbo, who cannot swim. Two passengers who had removed their life vests drowned. "When we made it ashore I couldn't even raise my hand. I was paralysed with exhaustion," she said.

The Philippines Red Cross said at least 155 people were drowned by flooding on land, and three provinces have been declared in "a state of calamity" with hundreds of thousands displaced.

Navy divers reached the ship on Monday, but they received no response when they tapped on the hull, which stands above the still turbulent waters. They hope, but do not expect, that they will find survivors in air pockets when they cut their way into the ship on Tuesday.

The government blamed the ferry company, Sulpicio Lines, which has suffered four disasters in 20 years, for the tragedy. But, although it has been banned from operating, the firm was still selling tickets on Monday. It has offered £2,250 to the families of the dead.

Ms Lisbo also blamed the company, saying the order to abandon ship came too late for the economy passengers on lower decks.

"There were lots of children who were not able to make it," she said.

"The children are down there, together with the boat. I will never be able to forget it."

NDCC confirms 57 survivors, 20 dead from ferry sinking

Officials of the National Disaster Coordinating Council and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Monday evening that the number of survivors from the ill-fated Sulpicio Lines ferry MV Princess of the Star had risen to 57.

The number of confirmed deaths, on the other hand, rose to 20, after 16 bodies washed on shore, were recovered, also on Monday, the officials said.

A list released by the NDCC Monday evening listed the survivors as: Jessie Buot, Reynaldo Lanurias, Jesus Gica, Oliver, Amorin, Rey Paguin (Cebu), Danilo Deplanas (Cebu), Richie Tayuntong (Cebu), Gerry Palenor (Cebu), Philip Vasquez (Cebu), Uriel Laguban (Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur), Ralph Alain dela Peña (Cebu), Carlo Jason Aravis (Cebu), Rodel Laborte (Cebu), Phil Gilig (Cebu), Jose Marie Garbo (Cebu), Niño Lauros (Cebu), Rupert Tan (Cagayan de Oro City), Ciriaco Nuñez (Cebu), Fausto Colis (Bicol), Francisco Batula (Cubao); Vicente Beruas (San Mateo, Rizal);

Reynante Adina (Cebu), Exuperto Pendon (Cebu), Jonathan Pendon (Cebu), Susan Lisbo (Novaliches, Quezon City), Minerva Toremucha (Bohol), Antonio Cosep (Bantayan, Cebu), Ronnie Relatibo (Malate, Manila), Ruel Libot (Apas, Cebu); Estanislao Tura Jr. (Bantayan, Cebu), Nilo Dayogo (San Pedro, Laguna); and Jesserey Bianco (Cebu).

A list of survivors as well as the manifest of the ill-fated ferry is also available at the Sulpicio Lines website www.sulpiciolines.com.

The shipping line has also assigned the following Manila hotline numbers -- 3821456 and 4745205 (look for Carmela or Maricar) -- for inquiries on casualties and survivors of the mishap.

The Philippine Coast Guard identified one of the fatalities as Julie Q. Mendoza and said at least two of the recovered dead were children.

The Princess of the Star, carrying 849 passengers and crew, stalled due to engine trouble and capsized amid huge waves off the central province of Romblon on Saturday, the height of the onslaught of typhoon "Frank" (international codename: Fengshen), officials have said.

On Monday, twenty-eight survivors and a fatality were found in a lifeboat on the shoreline of Mulanay town in Quezon province, Commodore Luis Tuason, chief of the Metro Manila Coast Guard said.

On the same day, 25 survivors and 15 fatalities were found on the shores of Burias Island in Masbate province, said Captain Gilbert Rueras, who represented the Coast Guard at the NDCC's Monday evening news briefing.

Quoting a local official, NDCC executive director Anthony Golez said the survivors were onboard life boats and were wearing life vests.

Mulanay and Burias Island are located northeast of the capsized vessel.

Four survivors and four fatalities were found washed ashore in San Fernando town, Romblon on Sunday, officials said.

Search and rescue operations of the Philippine Navy (PN) were suspended for the night due to big waves and the lack of night-capable equipment, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said.

It could not be immediately confirmed if the Coast Guard was also suspending its search for the night since the bad weather could endanger the lives of the rescuers.

"We'll stop for the moment because of the big waves and because we don't have night-capable equipment," Arevalo said in a phone interview.

The Navy's Patrol Ship 28, carrying rescue divers, medical equipment, and cadaver bags, will arrive on the scene early Tuesday, he said.

In an earlier interview, Arevalo said there were "no signs of life" after rescuers scoured the vicinity of the capsized ship on Monday morning.

"We approached the ship, we knocked on it [hull] in order to give us a sign if ever somebody is inside, [to tell them that somebody is outside to help them. We were hoping someone would knock [from the inside], unfortunately, there was none," he said.

Meanwhile, the official casualty count due to floods triggered by "Frank" rose to 100 deaths, 63 of these confirmed, and 121 injured, Health undersecretary Mario Villaverde told the same NDCC briefing.

Survivors tell of 22-hour fight to stay alive after ferry capsized

Survivors of the Philippines ferry disaster clung to a liferaft for 22 hours in treacherous seas before coming ashore "paralysed with exhaustion".

Just 50 passengers are believed to have survived after The Princess of Stars sailed into the centre of Typhoon Fengshen and capsized and sank on Saturday with 862 people onboard.

Most of those recovering at hospital in Lucene were on a single inflatable liferaft. Among them was Jimmy Relativo, 26, who was travelling with his pregnant 22-year-old fiancee, Roselyn Ligan, to get married at her home.

"Before noon we heard screaming and we felt that the boat was capsizing," he said, dazed and emotionless. "Everyone was panicking and the boat tipped over.

"I was saying ‘jump!' but I slipped and went into the water without her. I tried to look for her. I was calling her name but I didn't see her. There were many people in the water. I saw children without lifevests. They were screaming, crying, and I was also crying because I was thinking about my fiancee.

"In the lifeboat I was still praying that I would see her."

He has since heard that a pregnant woman has been found alive. "I don't want to get my hopes up," he said.

Vincente Bernas, a 59-year-old electrician, was with his son Vincent, 25, when the ferry sank. "I told Vincent ‘we have to jump'," said Mr. Bernas, who recalled the rain being so heavy that, even at midday, it was impossible to see those shouting for help.

"I was looking for something to hold on to. I saw a liferaft and went inside looking for my son, but I did not see him."

Also on the raft was Susan Lisbo, 43, who was travelling with her missing niece. "The first raft I reached I shouted ‘Help! Help!' but nobody helped me," she said.

Instead, she was pulled aboard a second raft -- a twist of fate that saved her life as the first liferaft did not make it to safety. On board the second craft a group of merchant seamen, veterans of long voyages to such distant ports as Liverpool, saved the occupants with their skill.

"They maintained the rubber boat even though the waves were as big as a house," said Miss Lisbo.

For 22 hours, in waist-deep water, the survivors frantically bailed out the inflatable craft with their shoes while the sailors taught them how to balance their weight. Eventually the liferaft capsized 30 yards from the shore. Two passengers who had removed their lifevests drowned.

"That was the hardest time for me," said Miss Lisbo, who cannot swim. "When we made it ashore I couldn't even raise my hand. I was paralysed with exhaustion."

The Philippines Red Cross said at least 155 people were killed by flooding on land, and three provinces have been declared in "a state of calamity" with hundreds of thousands of people displaced.

Navy divers hope, but do not expect, to find survivors in air pockets when they cut their way into the ship on Monday.

The government blamed the tragedy on the ferry company, Sulpicio Lines, which has suffered four disasters in 20 years. But the firm was still selling tickets Monday, despite being banned from operating. It has offered pounds 2,250 to the families of the dead.

Ms. Lisbo also blamed the company, saying that the order to abandon ship came too late for the economy passengers on lower decks.

"There were lots of children who were not able to make it," she said. "I will never be able to forget it."

Survivor: Captain delayed decision to abandon ship

CEBU CITY, Philippines - At least 37 survivors have been found so far as rough seas slowed down efforts to go near the capsized MV Princess of the Stars off Sibuyan Island, Romblon.

One can only guess how many of the ship’s over 800 passengers and crew are trapped inside the vessel.

Chances of survival inside the overturned ship dimmed by the hour as strong waves continued to pound the area keeping rescue ships at bay.

“We’re not ruling out that somebody there is still alive,” coast guard chief Wilfredo Tamayo said. “You can never tell.”

He said officials have to plan the best way to get inside — either with divers from below or by drilling a hole in the hull. Rescue workers would have to operate carefully. The vessel was carrying about 200,000 liters of bunker oil that could leak out and pollute the sea.

A US Navy ship carrying search-and-rescue helicopters was expected to arrive from Okinawa late Monday, and a P-3 maritime surveillance plane was also sent.

Sulpicio Lines Inc. will compensate families of casualties P200,000 each as passengers were covered by accident insurance, said lawyer Manuel Espina in Cebu. Survivors were urged to submit their claims, including details of lost items, for processing.

Espina said search and rescue operations will continue. As of 6 p.m., the company posted names of 37 survivors. A group of 28 was able to reach the shore of Mulanay town in Quezon Sunday morning.

Late order

A woman, whose lifeboat drifted to a coastal village in eastern Quezon province, said the order to abandon ship on Saturday afternoon was delayed, turning a storm-tossed sea into a graveyard.

Susan Lisbo, a resident of Novaliches, Quezon City, said the ship captain's declaration to abandon ship was already "too late."

"The ship was already heavily tilted to the left," said Lisbo in between medical checkups at the Quezon Medical Center in Lucena.

Lisbo was one of 28 survivors aboard a single life boat that drifted to the coastal village of Ibabang Yuni in Mulanay town at around 9 a.m. Sunday.

The 23,000-ton ferry M/V Princess of the Stars sailed from Manila Friday on a 22-hour trip to Cebu City.

A revised count released on Monday by management said the vessel was carrying 724 passengers, including children, 113 crew members and 27 field marshals or a total of 864 people.

The ferry capsized off Sibuyan Island in the central province of Romblon early evening Saturday.

Lisbo recalled that less than one hour before the announcement to abandon the ship, she already sensed that something was wrong.

"The ship was tilted and no longer returning to its natural floating position. I sensed that something was wrong. It was now different," she said nearly in tears in her recollection of the painful moments.

Then she heard a voice from the public address system: "Watchmen, watchmen, please proceed to the bridge!"

Shortly thereafter, she said, she heard commotion and shouting of passengers from all over the ship.

"There was no announcement yet to abandon the ship but we're already focused to go straight to the exit to secure our safety, wearing our lifejackets on," Lisbo said.

When the abandon the ship call was finally given at about noontime Saturday, she saw her cousin and companion Editha Ybanez jump first but her back hit the steel railings.

Afraid that she might also suffer the same fate, Lisbo said she waited for the water to reach her level before she made the jump and finally joined the company of the rest of the survivors aboard life rafts.

"I don't know where my cousin is. I pray that she's also safe elsewhere," she said, as she finally broke in tears.

Franchise

Meanwhile, congressmen lost no time placing the blame for the sea disaster on the vessel owner, Sulpicio Lines, and the Philippine Coast Guard that allowed the vessel to sail despite weather bureau warnings of stormy seas in the Visayas.

Speaker Prospero Nograles singled out Sulpicio Lines, saying the maritime company had not learned from its past three accidents in the seas.

In a statement, the House leader said the franchises and licenses of recidivist shipping lines who repeatedly figured in maritime disasters should be canceled.

"It's really unthinkable that after all these years, we have not learned a lesson from the Doña Paz tragedy. Strike three, even in baseball or softball means you're out," Nograles said.

Nograles was referring to the sinking of the MV Dona Paz in 1987, the MV Dona Marilyn in 1988 and the MV Princess of the Orient in 1998. All are vessels of Sulpicio Lines.

"Three or more disasters on the same shipping company is no longer a coincidence. So why are these sailing coffins still running in our seas?" Nograles said.

"It's time to cancel franchises or permits of those responsible," he said.

Nograles also said that government regulators should be held accountable if they were likewise found at fault for the tragedy.

"Heads should roll if government regulators are found incompetent and negligent of their sworn duties to the public," he said.

Iloilo Representative Ferjenel Biron, chair of the House committee on legislative franchises, said on Monday that the company's franchise to transport passengers and goods via the high seas could be revoked if found to have violated conditions of its privilege.

Biron, however, called for a thorough investigation on what actually transpired that led to the tragedy at sea.

"We can always review the franchise of Sulpicio Lines. If there are violations we can impose sanctions, including revocation of their franchise," Biron said in a telephone interview.

"We have to have a thorough investigation. First off, they were allowed to sail by the Philippine Coast Guard. It is now up to the Coast Guard to explain why they (were) allowed to sail," Biron said, referring to the stormy weather warned by PAGASA (weather bureau) over the weekend.

Bacolod City Representative Monico Puentevella said his committee on transportation will have this investigated when Congress resumes session in July 28.

“We will work to punish responsible people behind this sea tragedy," Puentevella said.

Hundreds missing in aftermath of Philippines typhoon

Ritchie Tayongtong's husband refused to let her give up when she fell and hit a railing as the ferry lurched to one side in the howling typhoon. He coached her not to panic and gave the order to jump as the sea rose up to swallow them. But when she was pulled aboard a life raft, the man she called "Love" was nowhere to be seen, becoming one of the 800 people missing since the vessel capsized Saturday during the height of a storm that left 163 people dead in flooded communities in the central Philippines. The government declared a state of calamity in three entire provinces — Albay, Antique and Iloilo — along with three towns in two other provinces. Hopes were rapidly fading Monday for more ferry survivors as powerful waves limited rescue efforts to planning strategy for the best way to get inside if the weather clears Wednesday. Divers heard no response Sunday when they hammered on the tip of the 23,824-ton Princess of Stars that was still jutting from the water off Sibuyan island in the central Philippines, but officials refused to give up.

"We're not ruling out that somebody there is still alive," coast guard chief Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said. "You can never tell."

Officials were pinning their hopes on two teams of military divers being able to find an underwater opening Tuesday.

"We'll do this at the earliest opportunity, weather permitting," Tamayo said.

Experts also were studying the ferry's layout in case they have to drill an access hole, a prospect complicated by a cargo of bunker oil on the ferry that quickly could turn the human disaster into an environmental one if it starts leaking.

A U.S. Navy ship carrying search-and-rescue helicopters was expected to arrive from Okinawa late Monday, and a P-3 maritime surveillance plane also was being dispatched.

Only 38 wave-battered survivors from the ferry have been found so far, including 28 who drifted at sea for more than 24 hours, first in a life raft, then in life jackets, before they were found Sunday about 80 miles (130 kilometers) to the north in Mulanay township, in eastern Quezon province.

But bodies were washing up on shore to the west and northwest, too. The coast guard said it was checking a survivor's report that at least one group of people — some dead, some alive — had been spotted bobbing in the sea.

Tayongtong, a former school teacher, married seaman Ephraim Tayongtong Jr. in 2000. With no children, her 36-year-old husband was heading to South Korea next month for a job, and the couple had been going home to Cebu after he submitted the necessary work documents in Manila.

"We sensed there was trouble around lunchtime," she said. "The ship was bobbing left and right sharply. One time, it was not able to recover and the ship listed to the left side and did not bounce back. My husband knew what to do... he told me we should go to the emergency exit.

From the room they shared with other people on the top, seventh level, they donned life jackets and rushed up to the sun deck, where many people already had gathered.

"I slipped and fell to the ground and hit the railings because the ship was listing," she said, her face bruised from the fall. "I yelled at my husband to go ahead and leave me, but he crawled back and pleaded that I should not lose hope. He told me not to panic because he was there and he would take care of me.

"The ship then was listing very sharply and we had to hold onto the railings. When the sea was almost upon us, he yelled, 'Jump, jump!' and we jumped together, but I got under water and many were tugging at me, pulling me under water. When I surfaced later, my husband was nowhere to be found.

"When they helped me up into the life raft, I wept. I yelled 'Love! Love! Love!' but there was no reply, nothing. The others on the raft asked me just to pray so he'll survive."

Officials initially reported 747 passengers and crew were aboard the ferry, but said Monday that it was carrying about 100 more. Capacity was listed as 1,992 people.

While some relatives tearfully waited for news, others angrily questioned why the ship was allowed to leave Manila late Friday for a 20-hour trip to Cebu with a typhoon approaching. The government ordered Sulpicio Lines to suspend services pending an investigation into the accident and a check of its other ships' seaworthiness.

US ship to help rescue ill-fated ferry's passengers

A United States navy ship with rescue helicopters is on its way to Romblon province to help rescue efforts for possible survivors from the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, Sen. Richard Gordon said Monday.

Gordon, who is also Philippine National Red Cross chairman, said Vice President Noli de Castro confirmed to him that the US government has ordered one of its Navy ships to head to the Philippines and help the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy look for survivors and bodies of the sunken ferry.

The ship was expected to arrive in Philippine waters either Monday or early Tuesday.

The senator, meanwhile, said a total of 141 fatalities of typhoon Frank have been confirmed by the Philippine National Red Cross. He clarified that the Red Cross announces its tally only after their officials and members had seen the bodies.

The senator, however, did not clarify if the Red Cross's death toll includes the fatalities from the sunken ship.

The MV Princess of the Stars went down at around noon Saturday several kilometres off the coast of central Sibuyan Island in Romblon after being battered by huge waves when its engines failed, officials said.

President Arroyo demanded on Sunday to know why the ferry was given clearance to leave Manila on Friday with a typhoon fast approaching.

A coast guard official has said the Princess of the Stars was cleared to leave for Cebu island shortly before the typhoon changed its course.

With the typhoon approaching, the captain was instructed to take shelter and "attempted to do that," the official said.

However, the engine failed and the almost 24,000-ton vessel was left stranded in waters off Sibuyan's southeast coast.

28 survivors named

Some 28 survivors of the ill-fated ferry had been identified by authorities.

Several of the survivors rescued in Mulanay, Quezon on Sunday were Rey Paquin, Danilo Deplansa, Richelle Tayuntong, Gerry Pelenor, Philip Vasquez, Ralph Alain de la Peña, Carlo Jason Aravis, Rodel Caborte, Philip Gilig, Jose Marie Garbo, Ciriaco Nuñez, Reynante Tadena, Imperio Pendun, Jonathan Pendun, Antonio Cosepp, Ruel Libot, Estanislao Terra Jr., Jessie Ray Blanco, all residents of Cebu.

The others were Uriell Luguban of Zamboanga del Sur, Niño Lauros of Bohol, Ruperta Yan of Cagayan de Oro City, Fausto Colis of Bicol region, Francisco Batola of Cubao, Quezon City, Vicente Bernas of San Mateo town in Rizal province, Susan Lesbo of Novaliches, Quezon City, Minerva Torecacha of Bohol, Ronnie Relativo of Makati City, and Nilo Daygo of San Pedro, Laguna.

Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas, Quezon Police Provincial Office director, said fishermen were also able to rescue two more ferry passengers in Catanauan town. Posadas identified the two as Alex Eleuterio Kipti and Rene de la Cruz Graciano, both residents of Barangay Mabini, San Pascual town in Masbate province.

Marlon Rosas of Romblon province, meanwhile, said he and other residents were also able to rescue four ferry passengers. He identified them as Oliver Amorin of Lapu-Lapu City, Jessie Buot of Siquijor Island, Renato Lanoria of Bantayan, Cebu, and another man from Mandaue City.

The victims were also on board the ferry when it left North Harbor in Manila on Friday. It sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province on Saturday.

The Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy have launched rescue operations in waters off Romblon and Quezon provinces.

The Department of Transportation and Communications has ordered all ferries of Sulpicio Lines grounded because of an ongoing inquiry of the Board of Marines regarding the latest ferry sinking.

Transport Undersecretary Elena Bautista claimed Sulpicio Lines was responsible for the sinking of the ferry. "Definitely Sulpicio Lines is responsible here," Bautista told reporters.

4 MV Princess survivors saved in Romblon

Four survivors of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars were rescued by police and barangay officials after they were found floating off the coast of San Fernando town of Sibuyan island in Romblon province.

Inspector Reynaldo Reyes, chief of San Fernando Police, identified the survivors as Renato Lanurias, one of the ship’s crew; Jesus Gica, Jessie Buot and Oliver Amorel.   

They were found near Barangay Mabini.

Of the four survivors, two were injured. Lanurias has a wound in the face while Gica has a laceration on the head.

Reyes said police and barangay officials are monitoring five towns where the waves might take the victims. These towns include Mabini, Espana, Mabulo, Agtua and Taclobo.