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The Princess of the Stars, owned by Sulpicio Lines Inc, experienced another sea tragedy when hundreds of people on board lost their lives and left their families dismayed and in deep mourning.

The latest sea tragedy happened in 21st of June 2008 for the fourth time record of sunken passenger ship MV Princess of the Stars, owned by Sulpicio Lines, Inc. The ferry sank upside down in Sibuyan Island in the province of Romblon. The ferry was sailing for Cebu City carrying about a total of 864 people on board. As per record of Sulpicio lines, 724 were passengers, 111 were crew members, and 29 were non-crew on board. It is sad to say that only few were able to survive and among the confirmed 34 survivors on June 26, 2008, only three of them were ship crews. Unfortunately, about more than 800 people nearly 96 percent were believed trapped and drowned in the ship. Rescuers and divers are continuously searching and retrieving dead body’s everyday. Meanwhile, Coast Guard Commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo ordered to stop search operations because the authorities found out the ship were carrying ten thousand kilograms of Endosulfan. a highly toxic chemical aboard the ship over the weekend. The divers stopped the rescue operation and were brought to the hospital for their medical checkup.

Other Sea Tragedies Experienced by the Vessels Owned by Sulpicio Lines

M/V Princess of the Orient

  • Destination: Manila to Cebu City
  • Sank: September 18, 1998/ Batangas near Fortune Island
  • Caused by: Typhoon Guding
  • Died: 150

M/V Princess of the World

  • Destination: Manila to Zamboanga City
  • Caught fire while at sea on July 7, 1995 several miles off Siocon Town
  • People on board: 217
  • Died: 0

M/V Doña Marilyn

  • Destination: Tacloban City
  • Sank: October 24, 1988
  • Caused by: Typhoon Unsang
  • Died: over 600 people

M/V Dona Paz

  • Destination: from Catbalogan, Samar to Manila.
  • Sank: December 20, 1987/Tabias Strait bet. Mindoro and Marinduque
  • Collided with the tanker M/T Vector
  • Died: 4,341
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The Princess of the Stars was the fourth vessel of Sulpicio Lines sank after the M/V Princess of the Orient tragedy almost ten years ago. Many have asked why the government authorities did not take extra caution in giving sail clearance to M/V Princess of the Stars considering the past bad records of Sulpicio Lines. Are there irregularities on the rules or guidelines in giving sailing clearances? Who’s fault is this? Is it the MARINA, the Coast Guard, the Shipping Company? Or simply say it’s a “force majeure “or “an act of God”?

The authorities now are primarily focusing on the retrieving hundreds of dead bodies the soonest possible to lighten the burden of the families of the victims who are in distress and deep mourning. But for the meantime the rescue operation is temporarily cancelled after the authorities have found out that the ship was carrying a highly toxic chemical called “endosulfan” which is harmful and may lead to death.