Remains of 85 Princess of the Stars victims presented to relatives

The remains of 85 fatalities in the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars were presented to relatives as Wednesday as they prepare to mark the tragedy’s second year. Radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen reported that Public Attorney's Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta urged the relatives to continue seeking justice for the tragedy as her office presented the fatalities’ remains at the PAO office in Quezon City. The remains included those of 38 bodies that were exhumed from a cemetery in Cebu province, the report said. Acosta appealed to the relatives not to lose hope and to continue pursuing charges against Sulpicio Lines, owner of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars. A video was likewise shown to the relatives detailing the exhumation process, which included retrieving skeletons from inside the sunken ship, according to a QTV newscast. Video embed:
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV The MV Princess of the Stars capsized and sank off Romblon province on June 21, 2008, after encountering big waves in the wake of killer typhoon "Frank." On the other hand, the report said PAO lawyers said they encountered difficulty identifying the fatalities and partly blamed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for refusing to turn over the victims' medical and dental records. PAO lawyers said it may take four to six months before they can make significant progress in the identification efforts. The office likewise said they may turn over the remains to the families one June 21, after conducting tests to identify the victims. About 10 to 15 skeletons have already been presumptively identified by the relatives. For his part, running priest Roberto Reyes presided over a mass for the victims, where he scored the Maritime Industry Authority for not doing its job in ensuring passengers' safety and getting justice for the victims. - JMA, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV