PCG sets June 18 deadline for ‘Princess’ retrieval ops

The Philippine Coast Guard is giving its divers until this Friday to finish the retrieval of remains of victims of the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy two years ago. Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said 45 divers and salvage operatives have so far retrieved the remains of 67 victims from the tragedy site. "Aking binigyan ng deadline, sabi ko nga mga June 17-18 ang ating retrieval operations samantalang ang pag-angat at pag-tow ng barko gagawin ayon sa kabutihan ng panahon," Tamayo said on government-run dzRB radio Sunday. (I have given our divers a deadline of up to June 17 or 18 to finish their retrieval work. On the other hand, surfacing the shipwreck will depend on whether the weather is cooperative) In the meantime, he reassured relatives of the victims the Coast Guard has not stopped search and retrieval operations. Coast Guard divers have been scouring the area around Sibuyan Island in Romblon, where the MV Princess of the Stars capsized and sank two years ago. "Tuloy-tuloy ang retrieval operations, walang hinto ito (The retrieval operations have been continuous. We have never stopped)," he said. The ill-fated vessel capsized and sank off Romblon on June 21, 2008 at the height of killer typhoon "Frank." Citing information from his office, Tamayo said 15 Coast Guard divers and 30 from the salvage firm had been at the site in the past several weeks. He said the team has so far recovered the remains of 67 victims, and has turned them over to the Public Attorney's Office's forensic experts. On the other hand, he said the International Police Organization (Interpol) has offered to help identify the remains. - KBK, GMANews.TV