MANILA, Philippines -- Relatives of the victims of the ill-fated MV Princess of the stars were irked after the chief of the Public Attorney's Office was prevented from entering the Sulpicio Lines Inc. office in Manila.
“Bakit hindi niyo pinapasok si Attorney? PAO na nga lang tumutulong sa amin [Why didn’t you allow the lawyer in? Only PAO has been helping us],” Levi Samuele, a kin of one of the victims, said, referring to lawyer Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, head of the Public Attorney’s Office.
Acosta said PAO was mandated during last weekend's meeting with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to provide free legal aid to the families as they claim the P200,000 in cash assistance promised last week by Sulpicio.
“We are here to give justice to the family of victims,” said Acosta
The filing of claims started Monday.
Acosta added that aside from giving legal counsel, PAO would also provide free affidavit processing and notarization.
The MV Princess of the Stars, owned by Sulpicio, capsized off Romblon province during typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen) last June 21, with over 800 passengers and crew on board.
Search and retrieval operations have been suspended after authorities discovered that the ship was carrying pesticide when it sank.
Sulpicio lawyer Arthur Lim meanwhile said it could only be due to “miscommunication” that Acosta was barred from entering the shipping line’s office, even as he reiterated there was no need for the victim’s kin to get the services of lawyers.
“We want the process to be as expeditious, simple, and easy for clients as possible,” Lim said.
Sulpicio would prevent any interventions that would disrupt the system they already established and would further “agitate” the claimants, Lim said.
Acosta left after giving instructions to the victim’s kin that they could anyway visit the PAO office in Quezon City.
Lim said all passengers on the manifesto released by Sulpicio -- whether recovered, identified, or still missing -- are entitled to the cash assistance.
The vessel’s crew members are covered by a different set of rules as Sulpicio employees, said Lim.
Survivors, on the other hand, will receive P20,000 pesos each.
Meanwhile, some relatives of the victims said would still press legal charges against Sulpicio despite the P200,000 “ex gratia” given by the shipping company.
