Coast Guard speeds up 'princess' retrieval operations

With an offer of assistance from the International Police Organization (Interpol), the Coast Guard is seeking to finish retrieval operations for the MV Princess of the Stars before the second anniversary of the tragedy on June 21. Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said Friday the Interpol is willing to help identify the human remains recovered in the latest retrieval operations. Tamayo, in an article posted Friday on the Coast Guard website, said the Interpol will work with the National Bureau of Investigation in the identification work. He said the Coast Guard will complement this "bonus" by having its divers speed up retrieval work before the second anniversary of the ship’s sinking. MV Princess of the Stars, with around 800 passengers, capsized and sank off Romblon province on June 21, 2008, in the wake of killer typhoon "Frank." Less than a hundred survived in the incident. [See: Number of MV Princess of the Stars survivors climbs to 76] Also, Tamayo said the Task Force Princess of the Stars under Transportation Undersecretary Thompson Lantion will meet in the coming days to conclude the salvage and retrieval operations. Meanwhile, Tamayo said he has ordered salvage firm Royal Jessan Resources Inc. to beef up its team of divers to finish the retrieval work early. The wreck of the ill-fated ship is 200 feet underwater and 1.8 km from Sitio Cabitangan in Sibuyan Island in Romblon province. Salvage and retrieval operations had been hampered in past days due to bad weather conditions. - LBG, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV