MV St Thomas Aquinas unidentified victims laid to rest

CEBU, Philippines - More than a month after the tragic sea mishap at Lauis Ledge, Talisay City Cebu that led to the death of more than 100 passengers and crew members, the 47 casualties that remain unidentified were laid to rest yesterday at the Carreta Cemetery.

It was an emotional scene during the mass burial ceremony as family members of still missing passengers joined in, hoping that they would soon be able to lay their loved ones to rest too.

Salvacion Villanueva of Pampanga, who still has four family members missing, lit candles for all 46 unidentified casualties.

“Tulong ko na rin tong prayers ko sa kanila. Kahapon (Tuesday) kasi ang 40 days mula nung lumubog ang barko. Since wala naman silang mga kamag-anak na nandito para magdasal para sa kanila, ako nalang. (My prayers are my way of helping them since yesterday (Tuesday) was the 40th day since the boat sank. Since they don’t have relatives here to pray for them, I will pray for them),” Villanueva told The Freeman.

Villanueva also offered a mass for her missing loved ones, twice in Cebu and four more in Pampanga.

She has been in and out of Cebu City since August 18, hoping to see her loved ones, dead or alive.

Her 25-year old daughter, Carla Christina Yutok, came from a business trip in Surigao and was on her way back to Manila on board MV St Thomas Aquinas with her three children, nine-year old Chrisalyn Joy Yutok, five-year old Chattie Wu, and one year old baby Chesen Wu.

The passenger vessel was scheduled to make a stopover in Cebu before it headed to Manila. But an hour before it was supposed to dock at the Cebu port, it collided with cargo vessel MV Sulpicio Express Siete.

“Nakatawag pa siya sa akin nung lumulubog na yung barko. Sabi niya ‘Ma! Ma!’Tinatanong ko siya kung anong nangyayari kasi hindi ko siya maintindihan. Tapos sabi niya lumulubog na nga daw yung barko at nandun pa sila sa tourist accommodation ng mga anak niya. (She was still able to call me when the ship was already sinking. She said “Ma, Ma!” I asked her what was happening since I could not understand what she was saying. Then she said the ship was already sinking and they were still in the tourist accommodation with her kids),” the grieving mother shared.

She added that after telling her daughter to remain calm and focus on taking her children to safety, the phone could no longer be reached.

Villanueva is currently coordinating with 2GO management, Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes and PNP Crime Laboratory, providing them with necessary documents and DNA samples, hoping that one day she will be able to take their remains back to Pampanga.

“Kahit buto na nila, dadalhin ko sa amin para may mapuntahan naman ako pag nami-miss ko sila. Hindi talaga ako sumusuko kahit ang hirap na at magastos. Ganito ko sila kamahal. Gagawin ko ang lahat para makita at maiuwi ko sila. (I will take home with me, even their bones, so that I can visit them when I miss them.I have not given up even if it’s so hard and costly. I love them that much. I will do everything to be able to bring them home),” she tearfully said.

Carmelchito delos Santos from Cagayan de Oro City, does not believe that his five year old nephew, Arkhi Gian Yee, is among the casualties of the sunken ship and still hopes the child was just drifted to a nearby island.

The little boy was with his grandaunt and grandmother, who said that they immediately wore life vests after the two ships collided. But unfortunately, they lost the boy when the ship sank.

Yesterday’s mass burial, which was organized by 2GO, Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, and the Cebu City and Provincial Government, opened with a Holy mass officiated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Msgr. Roberto Alesna of  the Metropolitan Cathedral.

In his homily, Palma emphasized on the prolonged suffering of the relatives of missing and unidentified casualties “because of the circumstances surrounding the death of (our) loved ones.”

God’s Sufficient Grace Ministry Bishop Joy Bendoy also shared spiritual enlightenment shortly after the Holy Mass.

The 46 unidentified casualties were laid to rest in an apartment-type niche inside the Carreta Public Cemetery.

It was earlier decided by the Incident Command Team, which includes all the government units involved and the private companies, to provide temporary to permanent resting place for the unidentified casualties of the sunken ship.

In attendance were 2GO’s management led by its Vice President Lito Salvio, Passage Manager for Visayas Luz Torrevillas, Supercat General Manager Boy Mundo and Supercat Ormoc manager Calvin Rosellosa.

Representatives from Philippine Span Asia Inc, formerly Sulpicio Lines and the owner of Sulpicio Express Siete, were not around during the ceremony.

Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes Manager, Engr. Bong Ebo, facilitated the transportation of the casualties from the morgue to Carreta and was assisted by officials of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office led by its chief Simeon Romarate and operations officer Alvin Santillana.

In his eulogy, Mayor Michael Rama recalled how he rushed to Talisay city after receiving a call from Talisay city Mayor Johnny de los Reyes who asked for help in responding to the vessel collision.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

“Sakit sa mga tagtungod, sa mga namatyan labi na sa katong nangita pa sa ilang mga minahal sa kinabuhi. Pero nagpasalamat ta aning hitaboa tungod kay nakita nato ang bayanihan ug pagtinabangay sa matag usa. Gipadaplin ang pulitika aron makaalagad ug makaresponde sa emergency. (It is painful for the families, especially those who are still looking for their loved ones. But with this tragedy, we have seen the ‘Bayanihan’ spirit of everyone. Politics has been set aside to respond to the emergency) ,” Rama said.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III got to the venue shortly after the ceremony finished and talked to 2GO officials as well government agencies concerned with the  rescue and retrieval operations including Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, PNP Crime Laboratory, Central Command, among others.— (FREEMAN)