Court junks Sulpicio suit vs PAGASA officials

A Manila Regional Trial Court judge on Tuesday dismissed a P6 million lawsuit filed by Sulpicio Lines against two weather bureau officials over the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars last June.
Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 said he found no evidence of malice or negligence on the part of PAGASA Director Prisco Nilo and chief weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz for allegedly failing to warn passenger vessels of weather conditions at the height of Typhoon Frank (international codename Fengshen) on June 21.
Sulpicio Lines earlier accused PAGASA of giving inaccurate weather reports, which led to the sinking of the shipping firm's flagship vessel, MV Princess of the Stars, off Sibuyan Island in Romblon at the height of the typhoon.
With a death toll nearing 800 passengers, the Princess of the Stars sinking is considered one of the worst maritime tragedies during peace time.
A five-man Philippines Board of Marine Inquiry has found Sulpicio Lines and its captain liable for the June 21 maritime tragedy. The BMI blamed human error, and ruled that the ship's missing captain, Florencio Marimon, miscalculated the risk of continuing the trip to Cebu while the storm raged.-abs-cbnNEWS.com