Owner of ill-fated MV Siargao Princess to compensate passengers for lost properties

The passengers and crew of the ill-fated MV Siargao Princess are brought to Cebu City after they were rescued from the vessel that sank off Sibonga town in southern Cebu on Nov. 7, 2019. | CDND Photo /Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Virgin Island Princess Shipping, the owner of ill-fated MV Siargao Princess that sank in the waters off Sibonga, Cebu on November 7, 2019, will cover the cost of the hospitalization and of the destroyed or lost properties of the victims of the sea mishap.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael John Encina, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7), said shipping line has fully cooperated with the investigation and would compensate the passengers for their lost belongings.

The shipping line’s owners and the operator of the MV Siargao Princess, Rodrigo Sevilla, also took care of the cost of the hospitalization of the two injured victims now recuperating at the Carcar Provincial Hospital and another victim rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center for hypertension.

As of now, Encina said none of the victims has expressed  desire to file charges against the shipping company but the legal department of  PCG-7 is prepared to assist them should they decide to so.

The PCG-7 Southern Cebu substation, which is handling the investigation, has started the inquiry by calling for an interview the captain and crew of MV Siargao Princess on Thursday evening.

However, PCG-7 is still waiting for the marine protest that the ship’s captain will file before the Maritime Industry Authority in Central Visayas (Marina-7) to officially start the probe into the incident.

Marina-7 is the body that can decide on the fate of the shipping company and whether or not the crew of the sunken vessel can keep their licenses. /elb