PCG clarifies discrepancies in ferry survivor count
By Katherine Evangelista
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:01:00 07/08/2008
Filed Under: Sulpicio ferry disaster
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday released a drastically reduced list of survivors from the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars which is 24 names short of the 56 survivors it had been announcing lately.
PCG spokesman Armand Balilo explained that the discrepancy was because they have eliminated five names, which had been listed twice, while 18 other names are still being verified.
But a marginal note on the list, current as of July 6, that the PCG faxed showed that the information had come from a Sharon Go of Sulpicio Lines, the owner of the ill-fated ferry, which capsized and sank with more than 800 passengers and crew off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province last June 21 when it sailed into the path of typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen).
The 32 survivors are: Oliver Amurin, Renante Ardina, Carlo Jason Arrabis, Francisco Batola, Jessie Rey Blanco, Jessy Buot, Vicente Bulante Burwas, Fusto Colis, Antonio Cosep, Nilo Dagyo, Ralph Alain Dela Pena, Jose Mari Garbo, Jesus Gica, Rodel Laborte, Nina Lauros, Susan Lifbo, Oneil Lubguban, Rey Padin, Jerry Pelimer, Exuperio Pendon, Jonathan Pendon, Jimmy Relativo, Rupert Tan, Ritchie Tayongtong, Danilo Templanza, Minerva Tormocha, Pal Philip Vasquez, Fel Gilig, Roel Libut, Ciraco Nuñez, Estanislao Tura, Renato Lanurias.
The PCG also said that, as of Tuesday, the bodies of the following fatalities in the ferry tragedy had been released to next of kin after being cleared with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI): Armand Barret, Jose Ramil Tuquib, Archele Ilustrisimo, Esmeralda Lequigan, Leonardo Acuzar, Ruel Lariba, Felipe Omandac, Robert Go.
There were 15 other remains that had been found with identification but these were still to be processed by the NBI, which is tasked to confirm the identities of recovered bodies.
Operations to recover casualties from the sunken vessel have been halted after the discovery that the Princess of the Stars had been carrying 10 metric tons of the highly toxic pesticide endosulfan.
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