Hapless Victims Caught Between Finger-Pointers And Pontius Pilates

The immeasurable grief of the families of the dead and missing in the sinking of MV Princess of the Stars is being compounded further with the finger-pointers and modern-day Pontius Pilates now grabbing the media spotlight.

Sulpicio Lines is suing PAGASA for “its erroneous typhoon forecasts” and blaming multinational firm Del Monte for “not disclosing the highly toxic nature of it ‘rush’ shipment of endosulfan. The Department of Agriculture is taking the cudgels for its attached agency, the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for allowing the continued importation and use of the internationally-banned pesticide.

The FPA says Sulpicio is to blame if the 10 metric tons of endosulfan poisons the waters of Sibuyan Sea and triggers massive fish kills and other dark events.

On its part the Justice Department’s Public Attorneys Office whose boss was refused entry by Sulpicio Lines security guards is threatening to issue a writ of replivin attaching the assets of the shipping company.

All these statements are making headlines as congressional inquiries are being called even while the official Board of Marine Inquiry into the tragedy is still progress.

Quite a circus indeed as the relatives of the victims are left in limbo over the fate of their kin and if relief, and justice, will ever come their way.