Filipino Voices

I wrote two days back that Sulpicio is trying to weasel their way out of this tragedy that they most certainly had a big hand in, the way they are going about it smacks of a company who is neither sorry for the victims or their families, but also wants to pile on the grief that they have caused by scamming everyone into not having lawyers play a hand in their measly P200,000 payout to the legal heirs of the victims.

SULPICIO’S LEGAL HYPOCRISY

But this just in, while it’s not alright for victims to consult their lawyers, because as they say, they will all too happily pay the measly bribe of P200k, Sulpicio Lines goes the hypocrite route by launching their assault of attorneys. They will be filing a lawsuit against PAGASA (Government run weather station), while staving off attacks from their flank as they fence off PAO (Public Attorney’s Office) lawyers who are trying to help the victims. All this while they say they are trying to focus on the welfare of the victims.

Are they focusing on their victims, or focusing on their potential losses?

Business first or the welfare of the families?

Such are the questions that are all too easy for the victim’s families to answer. In each case, we don’t have to contemplate the answers, it’s just a given.

If Sulpicio Lines is truly honest with their intention of providing the P200,000 with no strings attached, why specifically announce that no lawyers are needed, and then disallow the free services of PAO to provide legal advice for the families. If this sounds fishy to you, trust me, it sounds a bit fishy to me too. And not only me, but apparently even The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is also looking into Sulpicio Lines’ current actions as it is most probably trying to pull a fast one over everyone as it churns out requirements after requirements in order for the families of the victims to collect compensation, including the measly P200k that they are shelling out in an apparent attempt to appear sympathetic to the families of the victims.

But PAO won’t give up, as they insist in providing help for the victims and their families, and I hope they don’t give up for the sake of all those who have been wronged by Sulpicio Lines.

And while MARINA is taking a more focused look at the way Sulpicio Lines is handling the compensation being made to the families, they have also found that seven other vessels within The Sulpicio Lines fleet is defective and cannot sail until they have been fixed. Reading further, a very important piece of quote comes from an attorney for Sulpicio Lines,

Lawyer Arthur Lim, counsel of Sulpicio Lines, reiterated his client’s request to allow those vessels that have already been inspected to sail again, saying the company has a commitment to its clients

“Our prayer is that investigation be done expeditiously because we have commitments and bookings,” he said.

Lim also said that the grounding of Sulpicio Lines’ vessels should be based on a per vessel basis and not on fleet basis, adding that they are studying the possibility of filing a suit against Marina if it continues to ground the vessels that have already been inspected.

And take note, they are contemplating filing a suit against MARINA. And yet they are all too eager to swindle the families by offering a measly P200k, all without a lawyer present or advising them, including PAO themselves. They can stand the families losing out on future compensation, and yet they can’t stand losing money themselves.

Hypocrites! Greedy! The worst scum of the earth!

PLEASE FOCUS ON THE VICTIMS!

While the legal battle of Sulpicio Lines and PAGASA will be underway, I am afraid that both organization should be sued by the families of the victims, because both had a great hand in the tragedy that befell the victims of Typhoon Frank’s wrath on MV Princess of The Stars, a Sulpicio Lines ship. But even so, the greater burden must be given to Sulpicio Lines, who must at all times, err on the side of caution and the welfare of the passengers. Welfare of the passengers should damn well mean that they should make decisions as if their families are on board the ships they send off. And in the case of a Typhoon, a natural phenomenon, it’s a crapshoot as to the direction and trajectory of such a phenomenon, and they should damn well know that the best of the best of weather forecasting pales in comparison to plain old common sense and defensive decision making that should have always be made.

If the government is truly willing to look towards prosecuting or bringing to justice those who had a hand in this great tragedy that, at the end of the day, will most probably cost over 700 individuals their lives, then they must at this juncture look to not defending anyone except the victims and their families. Investigate as well as support the families, that should be the government’s number one priority. But, as early as now, PAGASA will have the backing of Malacañang when it fights its legal battle versus Sulpicio Lines.

Still, as I have said in many conversations, I would rather have it that a non-government agency, blessed with an army of lawyers, take up this cause to help the families of the victims. I cannot emphasize more the conflict of interest that PAO may find itself in, when it may, at some point, have to look at PAGASA, Sulpicio Lines, and other government agencies and find that each had a role and are culpable for offense and liabilities in the tragedy that led to the capsizing of MV Princess of The Stars.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE CAPTAIN

And while The President missed her chance for a photo opportunity last week, because of her most useless trip to The United States to secure her political present and her political future, she did not hesitate to schedule a trip to the site where the capsized MV Princess of The Stars lies of the coast of Sibuyan Islands. She will see finally, in person, the result of decades of neglect, mismanagement, and lack of oversight in both the shipping industry as well as the government agencies tasked to police this industry.

And what’s this I hear, the captain of MV Princess of The Stars may be alive, but Sulpicio Lines is hiding him? I hope to God that he’s alive, I’m not one to pray the death of anyone, but if he is alive, I hope upon hope that he provides some answers. If Sulpicio Lines has him, then it just piles on the bunch of shit that this company has already done to try to weasel their way out of this mess that they put themselves in.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

And so, while Sulpicio Lines wrongly blames everyone else for the tragedy, including GOD himself, they are all too willing to flex their muscles with lawsuits. All this while they block any means of legal advice for the families.

They make no mention of the pesticides that was in the cargo, they make no mention that they told no one about that cargo all the while rescue divers were trying to do their job.

This is the Shipping Line from hell, and they provide further proof each and every day, through their actions of selfishness and greediness, that they are looking at their bottom line, and not the welfare of the families of the victims.

It is this blogger’s ardent wish that their franchise and/or license to operate be revoked forever, and that the families receive their just due compensation 50 times more than what Sulpicio Lines is already offering.

The tragedy that has befallen the lives of hundreds of those passengers of MV Princes of The Stars is being piled on because of the insensitivity of Sulpicio Lines, and for this I cannot but help feel such seething anger towards this company, and I appeal to everyone to finally shout from the top of their lungs, to lead the charge towards the ending of this company, so that no more families have to suffer, and so that the victims of the four tragedies that Sulpicio Lines has had a hand in will not have died in vain.

The time to stop Sulpicio Lines must be now.