Families of BlueWater victims to get P2.2 M

Families of the 11 people that died when a passenger ferry sank off Quezon province last July 11 will be paid a total of P2.2 million after the insurance company concludes its investigation of the accident.

Romy Reyes, owner of AC-Joy Express Liner, which operated the ill-fated MV Blue Water Princess, said each family will be given a minimum compensation of P200,000 through a claim from Paramount Insurance.

“They have to complete the investigation first before releasing the claim,” he told reporters yesterday. “This is also why we could not yet retrieve our ferry from the site.”

However, Reyes refused to reveal the actual amount of their insurance claim for the MV Blue Water Princess.

The 11 casualties were identified as chief mate Rodolfo de la Fuente, ordinary seaman Wilgin Perlas, apprentice Daveson de Guzman, and passengers Nicanor and Leonila Arsipe, Gloria Deuda, Jean de Jesus, Cristina Labong, Lourdes Ricafranca, Maribel Mirallo and Lucena Arrizagada.

The investigation on the sinking of the Blue Water Princess is set to move to Masbate next week when members of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) will talk to survivors to complete the picture of the  tragedy.

BMI head Capt. Rodolfo Isorena, commander of Philippine Coast Guard Southern Tagalog District, said their 11-man panel will  go to Masbate, where most survivors are residents.    – Edu Punay