Kin of Filams in ferry sinking seek Bush aid

July 30, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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WASHINGTON D.C. = The parents and siblings of a Filipino American family missing in the capsizing of a ferry during typhoon Frank in the Philippines last month are seeking the help of President Bush to find their relatives.
The parents, Isidro and Tecla Risma, and siblings of the missing Filipino Americans here said in their letter that the bodies of their children - A. Risma, 44, an American citizen; his wife, Maria Merle Risma, 40, legal permanent resident, and two daughters, Angeline, 8, and Zyann, 16 months old - have not been recovered and identified more than a month after the capsizing of the MV Princess of the Stars in the Philippines June 21. All of them reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Originally from Surigao, the Rismas were en route to Barangay Union
in the island town of Dapa , Surigao del Norte when the ferry capsized.
Sulpicio Lines’ official list of missing passengers listed the four
Surigaonon Balikbayans as numbers 303 to 306 as reflected in the
vessel’s manifest.
While expressing their thanks for the President sending the aircraft carrier USS Reagan and financial aid for the victims of the typhoon, they said the bodies of the some 800 passengers and crew, including their children and grandchildren, have not yet been recovered.
“May we ask your assistance once again, Mr. President, this time to find our loved ones,” Isidro and Tecla Risma said in their letter. “Hundreds are still trapped inside the ferry one month after the ill-fated incident.”
They said their four relatives were vacationing in the Philippines last month when their trip from Manila to Cebu ended tragically with the capsizing of the ferry.
“Their bodies have not yet been found, and are possibly trapped in the ferry. Our hope of finding them alive has turned completely dim, and our waiting on the recovery of the hundreds of those remaining in the ferry is becoming more and more unbearable as Sulpicio Lines strategizes to delay any effort in
recovering them.
“We feel that the Philippine government’s attention should not only be on the search and rescue of those still missing aboard the MV Princess of the Stars, but also be on a criminal investigation of the incident. This being the case, we also feel that the site of the capsized ferry should be handled as a crime scene.
“Please help us by asking the US Embassy in Manila to urgently request the Philippine government to expedite the recovery of our loved ones by rendering the site as a crime scene. Your immediate attention is extremely crucial as evidence, including the corpses, are quickly deteriorating,” they said.
In Manila, meanwhile, families of fatalities in the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars July 25 filed a multi-million peso damage suit before the Manila
regional trial court against ship owner Sulpicio Lines Inc.
The passenger ship capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon last June, at
the height of typhoon Frank.
Complainants Rogelio Orfiano, Ephraim Osorio and his wife Maria Ale
Osorio, Lilibeth Balaod, and Josephine Padua filed separate complaints
for damages before the Manila RTC. They were represented by lawyer
Persida Rueda Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
Earlier, the family of victim Jonathan Calayag filed a P10 million
damage suit before the trial court against Sulpicio.
Sued were Sulpicio president Enrique Go; Eusebio Go, executive vice
president; Carlos Go, executive vice president and chief executive
officer; Victoriano Go, senior vice president and secretary; Dominador
Go, first vice President; Ricardo Go, first vice president and
treasurer; Edward Go, first vice president; Edgar Go, first vice
president; and all company directors and officers.
Also named defendant was Capt. Florencio Marimon, master of MV Princess
of the Stars. Marimon is missing and may have gone down with his ship.
The Padua family is asking for P7 million in compensatory damages, while
the Balaod family asked for P3.37 million. The Orfiano family asked for
P20.5 million for the death of 19-year-old John Lester Orfiano, an
apprentice mariner.
The three families also asked for P400,000 in moral damages and P400,000
in exemplary damages. The Osorio family, who lost Soseth Osorio, a mother of two girls aged 13 and 9, asked for P400,000 in moral damages and another P400,000 in
exemplary damages.
After the filing, Acosta told reporters that PAO will be filing more
civil suits against Sulpicio.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under US News 

Comments

One Response to “Kin of Filams in ferry sinking seek Bush aid”

  1. K.B. on July 31st, 2008 3:50 pm

    Our hearts go out to the entire Risma family, and all of those impacted by this horrific tragedy. Though it has been more than 40 days, the capsized ship remains partially submerged, fully intact and filled with hundreds of bodies. Little or no action appears to have been taken by the government or embassy in the Philippines. Our local senators in Ohio and several others around the country have been made aware of the situation. I feel the family is right on-the U.S. Embassy in Manila most certainly should ask the Philippine government to declare the site of the sinking as a crime scene to facilitate the recovery of bodies and serve justice and punishment to whom it is due. This is the appropriate action to take and should be explored immediately. It is an outrage that any family should have to take such measures for over a month now to recover their loved ones from any set of circumstances, much less such a horrifically morbid tragedy.
    Arroyo, et al, appears to have been absolutely unwilling to step in to override the shipping company, Sulpicio Lines, believed to be responsible. Sulpicio and their insurance carrier have been given full control of the situation and have dragged their feet at every opportunity. This is an enormous travesty of justice to the victims and their families, and a blatant disregard for human life in general regardless of citizenship. For their government not to intervene thereby prolonging the agony, makes this irreprehensible and a crime in itself by likely retaining the remains of all of the victims in a floating mausoleum. For our government not to involve itself in the situation to at least encourage prompt recovery of our people to have them returned to their surviving family members, would be disappointing to say the least. There are many other factors in play in this multi-faceted disaster, including safety violations, ignoring a typhoon warning, the ships cargo of chemicals and subsequent fishing ban in the surrounding communities until the wreckage is removed, but for the sake of humanity, the priority MUST be to expedite the recovery of the bodies. Now.
    In this case, I feel the government in the Philippines, and of course Sulpicio Lines, has crossed the line into gross negligence and blatant disregard for human life, and in this case several deeply loved Filipino-American lives. I do recognize that the U.S. initially sent the Reagan in to help, but it was kept at bay because of the nuclear capacity. Unfortunately, in turning away our ship, they also turned away cranes, air support, sonar, countless engineering aids, supplies, etc. and I do not know if our government was yet aware of our citizens who had been on the manifest. I believe we need to try again. I know that my government would never leave a boat full of bodies and chemicals sit for any length of time. Certainly, whether it were a Carnival ship off of Bermuda or the U.S.S. Badger out in Lake Michigan, this would never be allowed to happen.
    Presently, I am appealing to anyone who will listen to at least raise awareness of this tragic situation that has no end in sight and no guidelines for resolution. I have implored the media to put this situation into the global spotlight, for something needs to be done NOW.

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