Comments on: Shut Down Sulpicio Lines

By: K.B. Laurienne

K.B. Laurienne — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:34:46 +0000

According to the latest news I have seen, “salvage” ops are set to begin on September 15 but for CARGO ONLY. I have been on a letter writing spree and here is one I sent yesterday indicating human rights violations for victims and families alike:
I wrote to you several weeks ago looking for assistance or direction regarding a situation in the Philippines. My previous plea to you was that there is a family of U.S. citizens missing in the Philippines who were onboard the ill fated MV Princess of the Stars which capsized in typhoon Frank on June 21, 2008. Unfortunately, nearly three months later, the situation has deteriorated even further. The capsized ship remains partially submerged, fully intact and filled with hundreds of bodies. An entire family from Cincinnati, Ohio, including a mother, father, and two young children (an 8 year old and a 16 month old), remain unaccounted for and little or no action has been taken by the government or embassy in the Philippines. Our local senators have been made aware of the situation. In a recent appeal furthermore to the White House, family members had asked that the U.S. Embassy in Manila “ask the Philippine government to declare the site of the sinking as a crime scene to facilitate the recovery of bodies and serve justice where applicable. Copies were also sent to key U.S. congressional leaders and Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross. It is an outrage that any family should have to take such measures for over a month now to recover their loved ones from any set of circumstances, much less such a horrifically morbid tragedy. Sulpicio Lines, as of September 5, 2008 is now claiming salvage operations are set to begin on September 15, 2008 but for cargo only. They claim they do not have enough money to salvage anything else and will leave the boat abandoned and available to anyone who wants the scrap metal, which will leave the victims and there belongings out there like nothing more than roadkill. That is barbaric and should never be allowed to happen.
Arroyo, et al, has been absolutely unwilling to step in to override the shipping company, Sulpicio Lines, believed to be responsible. Sulpicio and their insurance carrier have been given full control of the situation and have dragged their feet at every opportunity. Sulpicio Lines has been found administratively liable by the Philippine Board of Marine Inquiry, yet has not taken responsibility to recover the deceased, believed to be around 700 bodies. This is an enormous travesty of justice to the victims and their families, and a blatant disregard for human life in general regardless of citizenship. For their government not to intervene thereby prolonging the agony, makes this irreprehensible and possibly a crime in itself by retaining the remains of hundreds, including U.S. citizens, in a floating mausoleum. This is a mass grave and nobody has the decency to get the bodies out to return them to their families! If we found such a grave elsewhere in the world, there would be outrage and at least an effort to remove it. The media would at least be reporting the news. For our or any government not to involve itself in the situation to at least encourage prompt recovery of our people to have them returned to their surviving family members, would be disappointing to say the least. For the sake of humanity, my priority is to expedite the recovery of the bodies. All need to be removed, but my purpose in raising the awareness is to get our citizens recovered to bring this family closure, as I have seen their anguish first hand. ALL of the hundreds of families of the victims have a right to closure. At the very least, basic human rights.
In this case, however, I feel the government, and of course Sulpicio Lines, has crossed the line into gross negligence and blatant disregard for human life, and in this case American lives. I do recognize that the U.S. initially sent the Reagan in to help, but it was kept at bay because of the nuclear capacity. Unfortunately, in turning away our ship, they also turned away cranes, air support, sonar, countless engineering aids, supplies, etc. and I do not know if our government was yet aware of our citizens who had been on the manifest My government would never leave a boat full of bodies and chemicals sit for any length of time. Certainly, whether it were a Carnival ship off of Bermuda or the U.S.S. Badger out in Lake Michigan, this would never be allowed to happen.
Presently, I am appealing to anyone who will listen to at least raise awareness of this tragic situation that has no end in sight and no guidelines for resolution. Something needs to be done now. Incidentally, the same company has now killed nearly 5,000 human beings in their line of work, and are insisting they be allowed to keep sailing with people and cargo…

By: Shipping Industry (Supposedly) Closes Ranks Behind Sulpicio Lines | Filipino Voices

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:52:35 +0000

[...] another player will quickly and quite naturally rush in to fill the void. As I said in an earlier post, the permanent sinking of Sulpicio will actually benefit the industry. Its serves notice to all [...]

By: mikeruthie

mikeruthie — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:12:50 +0000

STOP SULPICO LINES BUSINESS.they just want money.they dont care about others lives.thats why they let it go.and people stop saiyng its GOD WILL its not.its SULPICIO LINES WILL.they should have learned from the sinking of there other ships.owner of the ship should be punish not the pag-asa.weather can change in the blink of an eye people.use you little brain,work a little bit.its mother nature,HELOO!!!!!!!its not your family its mine.

By: Blogswarm To Stop Sulpicio Lines July 4 and 5 | Filipino Voices

Blogswarm To Stop Sulpicio Lines July 4 and 5 | Filipino Voices — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:54:35 +0000

[...] Stop Sulpicio Lines Lee Angelo – Stop Sulpicio Lines Manuel Quezon III – No Ifs and Buts About It Butch – Shut Down Sulpicio Lines [Splice] Herson Juego – Stop Go Tags: blogswarm, stop sulpicio lines, sulpicio lines tragedy Add [...]

By: AdB

AdB — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:02:49 +0000

Thanks loads for the good wishes!

By: AdB

AdB — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:01:48 +0000

Yes, I am or we are (whole family with the exception of biggest baby boy who’s doing his MBA internship with a firm in the US) and yes, Ingrid Betancourt’s return is quite a feat. I’d say that it’s caught France by storm because many almost didn’t believe that she would return home alive.

I do think she’s an extremely brave woman — there are those of course who callously say that she was naive and some commenters in both the French and foreign press and blogs have gone as far as to say it was her fault that she was captured and detained by FARC.

Here is a woman who could have just stayed put in France, lived the life of a wealthy socialite but no, she decided to put to good use her education, her connections to make a difference and went back to Colombia with an aim: to help eradicate poverty, misery and corruption in her “other” country. That’s a tall ambition but she tried.

I think she deserves the all the kudos!

By: The Warrior Lawyer

The Warrior Lawyer — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:43:15 +0000

I had to look that one up, ADB. Yes, it is astonishing and astounding, not to mention dismaying, that the Go ships may be allowed to sail on the request of a bishop. Arroyo should at least allow the investigation to arrive at some preliminary findings before even considering such a request.

You’re in France for a break are you ? It must be an extraordinary event to have Betancourt return after her long captivity. The inevitable book on her experience will certainly fetch a tidy sum in advances. Have a safe trip, my friend. Don’t take any Sulpicio ships.

By: AdB

AdB — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:03:31 +0000

Couldn’t agree with you more.

The buck must stop somewhere but it seems it’s being passed from one or the other.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should have had the decency to turn down the request of the bishop on behalf of the Go family to operate again — not before having completed the investigations.

Authorising the Go ships to sail on the mere request of a bishop is sending the wrong signals to the rest of the nation: that justice is not money blind! Just extraordinarily gobsmacking!