President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was “very concerned” over the fate of the victims of the sinking of the “MV Princess of the Stars” that capsized last Saturday off Sibuyan Island at the height of “Typhoon” Frank.
According to Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, the President is closely monitoring the progress of the rescue operations being conducted by the Navy for the still undetermined number of passengers still trapped inside the vessel.
“She is very concerned,” Dureza said, referring to the President. “And she wants to know why the vessel was allowed to leave port despite the storm,” he added.
The President called a meeting with Cabinet members who joined her in the US to assess the latest developments in the typhoon-stricken areas in the Philippines and the status of rescue operations for the passengers of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars.
Dureza said the President wanted an immediate explanation from the Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) about the tragedy.
The President is on the second leg of her seven-day working visit to the US for a series of meetings with US officials, business leaders and members of the Filipino community.
Earlier, DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza ordered the grounding of all Don Sulpicio Line vessels pending the completion of the investigation of the sea tragedy. (PIA/Bohol)
