Divers recover 12 ferry bodies

MANILA, Philippines – At least 12 bodies have been recovered from the wreck of the M/V Princess of the Stars off Romblon yesterday, according to the Coast Guard.

The bodies were already in an advanced state of decomposition, Coast Guard Commandant Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said in a phone interview yesterday.

Tamayo said the 12 bodies were retrieved from the dining salon in C-deck of the 23,000-gross ton vessel, where the economy lounge is located.

The retrieval of remains is likely to last for about two to three weeks as they target at least 20 bodies a day, he added.

Tamayo said a Sulpicio Lines vessel would deliver the bodies to Cebu where an NBI team is waiting to conduct autopsy on them.

The NBI team is tasked to identify the bodies, he added.

On Saturday, Rod Bella, project manager of salvor firm Harbor Star, said based on the initial report of divers, the remains of the victims appeared to be inside decks C and D.

Tamayo said a Mass and flower offering were held at the site before divers started retrieving the bodies.

Other officials who attended the Mass and flower offering were Transportation Undersecretary Elena Bautista, who heads the Task Force Princess of the Stars; Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of the Department of Health’s National Epidemiology Center and Dr. Renato Bautista, chief of the National Bureau of Investigations’ Medico Legal Division.

Tamayo said that Harbor Star has already put in place a barge and tugboat and had deployed 25 divers at the site.

Sulpicio Lines, owner of Princess of the Stars, has placed its other vessel M/V Princess of Tacloban at the disposal of the Task Force Princess of the Stars.

The Princess of the Stars sank at the height of typhoon “Frank” last June 21 off Sibuyan Island in Romblon.

More than 800 people were on board the ill-fated ship.

At least 33 survived, more than 200 have been confirmed dead, while about 515 remain missing.