Identification of recovered sunken ferry victims sought

MANILA, Philippines - Public Attorney Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta disclosed yesterday that the agency has coordinated with forensic experts to identify still unidentified bodies recovered from the M/V Princess of the Stars that capsized at the height of a typhoon off Romblon in June 2008.

Acosta told the news forum, hosted by the Catholic Media Network (CMN) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Media Office (CBCP-MO), that there are claimants for the remaining unidentified cadavers.

She said several families who are still searching for their missing loved ones are ready to claim the more than 50 bodies that were already buried in Cebu. Forensic experts of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have used DNA tests but were not able to identify the 50 bodies.

Prosecutors filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, physical injuries and damage to property against SLI vice president for administration Edward Go and Princess of the Stars skipper Florencio Marimon at the Manila Regional Trial Court.

Marimon was among those who died in the tragedy. His body was among the 447 victims recovered.

The Cebu-bound Princess of the Stars left the Port of Manila but capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon at the height of typhoon “Frank.”

Out of the more than 800 passengers and crew on board, only about 32 people survived, while more than 400 bodies were recovered and over 300 victims are still missing.

The bodies were placed in individual caskets and buried last Sunday in Cebu, allegedly without the permission or approval of the families.

The forensic team hoping to conduct an anthropological and dental forensic examination would consist of Professor Jerome Baylen, Dr. Erwin Erfe, Dr. Benito Molino, and forensic odontologist Dr. Anastacio Rosele.

Forensic anthropology is the examination of human skeletal remains for law enforcement agencies to determine the identity of unidentified bones.

Erfe, who is also a lawyer by profession, said that these methods have been used before in major world tragedies such as the December 2004 tsunami in Thailand and the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York.

Thousands of people reportedly died in the tsunami. About 98 percent of individuals were identified through anthropological and dental forensic examinations while only 1.3 percent were identified via the DNA tests. In the case of the Princess of the Stars the NBI only conducted DNA tests.

Acosta brought the experts to Cebu and offered their help in the identification of the bodies, but “they did not want the independent forensics to collaborate and they were the only ones authorized to do the job. But now that they have buried the dead, we could now have jurisdiction.” 

She said that identification of the 50 bodies might take between three to five months. They would also require the data gathered by the NBI team.

Acosta said she would file a motion to exhume the bodies before Judge Antonio Rosa-les, Branch 51 of the Manila City Regional Trial Court on Thursday.