Some of the graves of the shipwreck victims (CDN PHOTO/IZOBELLE PULGO).
THREE years after the collision of 2GO’s MV St. Thomas Aquinas and cargo vessel Sulpicio Express Siete claimed the lives of more than a hundred passengers and crew, 42 unidentified victims left unclaimed by family members still remain in unmarked graves at Carreta Cemetery in Cebu City.
Aside from a modest bunch of yellow flowers placed on each of the graves, as ordered by 2GO’s management, not a single trace of a candle can be seen on any of the tombs, a tell-tale sign that no one has visited the graves recently.
According to roving guard Alfredo Zuñiga who is assigned in the area where the unnamed graves are located, he has not seen any visitors to the shipwreck victims’ graves this year.
“Kadtong bag-o pa pagkahitabo, daghan kaayong mga tagtungod nga miari diri. Karong tuiga, wala (When this just happened, there were a lot of relatives who came. But there are none this year),” he said.
Located at an obscure part of the public cemetery, the unlighted graves of the shipwreck victims were a stark contrast to the rest of the tombs seen all throughout the place which were lighted with candles and decorated with flowers.
Jesus Desuyo, Carreta Cemetery field administrator, had likewise not noticed the graves of the shipwreck victims being visited since 2013.
“Pero ang 2GO, yearly gyud na sila magpasuga dira. Ig-abot sa anniversary sad, magpamisa sila diha sa site mismo. Wala na gyu’y miduaw diri but ambot lang kung may miduaw ba nga wa miagi sa office. Di pud ko sigurado. Wala man sa’y nag-inquire kay kasagaran sa moanhi, kay mo-inquire kay dili taga-dinhi (But 2GO lights up the area yearly and when the anniversary comes, they have a Mass said at the site here. As far as I could recall, no one has come here to visit but I’m not sure. No one has inquired at the office when usually those who are from out of town would inquire), ” he said.
Desuyo said the graves will remain in Carreta for four more years or until 2020 if left unclaimed, as the contract between 2GO and the cemetery management for the use of the tombs is good only for seven years.
“Ig human, ibalhin namo ang mga bukog sa common (grave), sa may dakong cross, para mausa (After that, we will move the bones to the common grave, at the big cross, alongside others),” he said.
Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral rector Monsignor Ruben Labajo called on the faithful yesterday to include all those who died in their prayers.
“Mao niy nindot na kahigayonan nga mag-ampo nila tungod kay daghan nangamatay nga way nag-ampo para kanila (This is a good time to pray for them because a lot of those who died have no one praying for them),” Msgr. Labajo said.
“Kaning misa para sa kalag nga wala nay moampo para kanila, ilabi katong mga biktima sa krimen o kanang mga extrajudicial killings nga namatay nga wala ka hinulsol. Ginoo nay mag-igo kanila (The Mass is for the souls of those who have no one praying for them, especially the victims of crime and extrajudicial killings who have not asked for forgiveness. God will know what to do with them),” he added.
On August 16, 2013 passenger vessel MV St. Thomas Aquinas left Butuan City port and was scheduled to make a stop over in Cebu City before heading for Manila.
As the vessel traversed Lawis Ledge in Talisay City, Cebu, it collided with cargo vessel Sulpicio Express Siete owned by Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation.
The collision claimed 116 lives. There were 715 passengers and 116 crew members on board.