The Philippine Online Chronicles

In my attempt to fight nausea and avoid throwing up I decide to spend a good part of the journey on my bed in a second class cabin. While it helped to stay horizontal, there was this peculiar sound of people on the verge of vomitting that stimulated something rather similar in me. In no time, I was up and running to the nearest toilet to empty my stomach but only to see a long line of passengers aching to do the same thing. Holding in the stuff bursting to come out, I rush throught the exit and just let it all out on the side of the ship. And what great but temporary relief. My head felt as empty as my stomach but the dizziness persisted. I struggle on my way back to my bed consoled that the nauseated feeling had gone with the vomit. This did not last too long. The process repeated itself so many times even when there was hardly anything coming out. Thank God, the ship eventually reached ground and we were safe but exhausted.

A few months later, on April 22, 1980 something terrible happened to M/V Don Juan. “At about 10:30 p.m., the M/T Tacloban City (a barge-type oil tanker of Philippine registry, owned by the Philippine National Oil Company) and the M/V Don Juan, an inter-island vessel also of Philippine registry owned and operated by Negros Navigation Co., Inc. collided at the Talbas strait near Maestra de Ocampo Island in the vicinity of the island of Mindoro. As a result of the collision the M/V Don Juan sank and hundreds of its passengers perished.” (cf. Mercenas vs. CA (GR 88052, 14 December 1989) Third Division, Feliciano (J)).

In a span of four months, the very same ship that we took to Bacolod and back, went down with several of its passengers . This time, it was not a storm that sank the ship but a collision with another vessel. The trial court handling the case decided that both vessels were at fault which resulted in a fatal collision claiming several innocent lives.

When I heard the sad news about the M/V Don Juan, I simultaneously prayed for the victims and reflected on the paradox and mystery of life, thinking why them , not us?

I have gone back and forth Manila and Bacolod for many years even after the M/V Don Juan sea tragedy. Negros Navigation had far fewer sea tragedies than Sulpicio’s unenviable record of 45 accidents, involving seven sinkings (cf. Philippine Daily Inquirer , Editorial: M/V Scandalous, July 14, 2008). In the Visayas and Mindanao, people have spoken of “Floating Coffins.” Recently, when a priest friend of mine from Mindanao was passing through Hong Kong, I asked him what do people mean when they talk about “floating coffins?” Without batting an eyelash, he says, “Sulpicio Lines .” My priest-friend explains that many have already vowed never to take any Sulpicio vessel if they valued dear life.

There are disturbing signs of compromise, even with some Catholic bishops of late pleading on behalf of Sulpicio Lines. If this bizarre partnership between the owner of the floating coffins and the head ofa sinking government continues, it will soon be clear where they are both headed for… the bottom of the sea.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites