Tuesday, July 01, 2008 Sulpicio sues Pag-asa for ‘wrong forecast’
MANILA-Sulpicio Lines filed a suit against the country’s weather service yesterday, seeking damages for a wrongful storm forecast, court officials said.
The civil suit, filed at a lower court, said the weather service failed to issue an updated typhoon bulletin advising shipping and the public that the typhoon had changed course.
“Had this been done, the vessel which was then in the (Sibuyan Island) area, could have sought shelter there,” the suit said.
There was no immediate reaction from the government agency to the P4.45-million suit filed by Sulpicio Lines, owners of the Princess of the Stars that sank at the height of Typhoon Frank on June 21.
Sulpicio Lines senior vice president Edgar Go accused Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Director Prisco Nilo and chief weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz of “gross incompetence and irresponsibility” in making a wrong weather forecast of the typhoon track.
He alleged that this led to the sinking of the ferry after the Coast Guard allowed it to sail from Manila Bay on June 20 on the advice of the weather service.
Go alleged that the ship’s captain had relied on the weather service bulletin that the ferry would only encounter 60 kilometer per hour winds on its route toward Cebu.
However, the typhoon changed course and the ferry ran into the eye of the typhoon’s 140 kilometer per hour winds the following day, ran aground and capsized.
Only 57 of its 850 passengers and crew are known to have survived.
Meanwhile, the Interpol will help in identifying victims of the Princess of the Stars sinking.
Philippines Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC) Chief Anthony Obenza said Interpol will start by assessing the current disaster victim identification (DVI) process and determine which areas they can help.
“They are doing an assessment on where the Interpol can help in the current disaster victim identification process. They will determine what the DVI team here in Cebu needs logistically, technically and the personal requirements,” said Obenza.
Interpol sent yesterday an advance team to assess the requirements, said Obenza.
Compromising Interpol’s advance party were DVI Specialized Officer Olaf Worbs from Germany, who leads the team, with DVI specialist Torkjel Rygnest from Norway and Policy Analyst Simon Fernan from the Philippines.
Obenza said that Interpol’s Secretary General Ronald Noble was scheduled to arrive last night for a meeting with all officials involved in the body identification process.
Obenza said Interpol specializes in the identification of bodies of disaster victims. Based on their initial assessments, more Interpol officials may be coming over to Cebu, Obenza said.
“We are waiting for the go-signal of the secretary general,” said Obenza.
He also added that Interpol officials around Asia are already ready for deployment and are just waiting for Noble’s word.
Interpol officials from Europe are also ready to come in. Officials who are located within Asia, however, would most likely be deployed first.
“They are all ready for deployment, we just don’t know how many may be coming over. But officials are all ready,” Obenza said.
Obenza said Interpol officials will be releasing official announcements today, depending on the time of arrival of the bodies.
Interpol’s decision to come over and offer assistance in the identification of bodies was on their own initiative, said Obenza.
The Cebu City Government and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) met with the Interpol advance team yesterday
morning in a closed-door meeting.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama said he was happy with Interpol’s offer to help.
“The more people helping us out, the better,” he said.
Interpol will be closely coordinating with the PCTC and the NBI. (AFP/EPB)
