The Search Is Over…
Our dearest Bebot has been found. Yesterday, at around 6pm Manila Time, a woman called up over at Bebot’s place, his mother had answered the phone. The news was heartbreaking. Bebot had been found on the shores of Masbate, about 50 kilometers away from Romblon where The MV Princess of The Stars had capsized. The lady said that the body was still in good condition, and that she had got the phone number from the driver’s license that was located in Bebot’s wallet.
It is our belief that Bebot was probably still alive when he washed up, but because this area of Masbate was very secluded, no one had found him until now. Bebot’s sister had a dream one night, that Bebot was on the shore of an island, hungry, but that was the extent of her dream. My cousin and I had a gut feeling that Bebot would survive the first few hours, even days, because as a seaman he had experienced having abandoned ship, and had survived for quite a while in the seas. Bebot was a well-trained seaman. And this news may be proof positive, that because of the good state of his body, oxygen was still available for his body, decay did not initiate right away because of this oxygen, and maybe, just maybe, had we had proper search and rescue implemented, Bebot may still be alive today. I know, I know, I am being a bit unrealistic, but I have to believe, that Bebot was trying his hardest to survive, fight for his life, the least our government could have done was to have had a proper set of rescue operations around the possible areas where bodies may have been carried to.
As I looked at The Sibuyan group of Islands, I have to admit that Bebot had a series of bad luck. Not only did he travel on a date that he wasn’t scheduled for, but he traveled with Sulpicio Lines, furthermore, had he gone south just a bit, he may have had a chance.
If he had gone south towards the island much nearer to Romblon instead of heading straight east, he may have had a better chance. Right now, Bebot’s wife, mother, daughter, and most of my family is angered by what they are calling the lack of our government response and their inability to mount a better rescue operation.
As for me, I’m again furious, a bit numb, a confluence of emotions that is mostly anger. I’m so pissed off at this whole damn affair. Pissed off at the government, pissed of at Sulpicio, at PAGASA, pissed off at MARINA, and even pissed off at The Philippine Coast Guard. Right now, we know who truly made that call, it was Sulpicio Lines.
Right now, I don’t know if I’ll be blogging in the days to come, this news is just so draining. I am not a crying person, even though I feel the pain, I have never been a person who cried. Even when my father died, I didn’t cry. When my grandmother died, I didn’t cry. This news almost made me cry though. Bebot was such a wonderful person. He did not deserve this.
But as I told my aunt, Bebot’s mother, at least we can now move towards a proper burial, we can have closure to this tragic death.
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now that he’s home, perhaps the fight for justice can begin in earnest?
Hey Nick. Hang in there…
My prayers go out to you and your family.
I am sorry for your loss. It is such a sad fate that the negligence & greediness of other inconsiderate souls becomes the ironic end of another being. No wonder our Country is how it is & always will be. I am really saddened. I hope you will find the justice you seek with your cousin’s death. I bid you the best of luck!
@jester, yes, in fact, the odds are actually against the victims and their families.. you would think it would be the other way around, but with the political connections of Sulpicio, its nonstop legal assault against every other government body, its nonstop assault on the families themselves.. it’s a tough battle to wage against a company that just doesn’t give a damn.
@Jen, thank you so much for your prayers, I appreciate more than you know..
@Maricris, thank you for your sentiments.. negligence and greediness, that is such a good way to encapsulate Sulpicio Lines..
I’m sad about your loss, and even sadder about the way Bebot died. I don’t know him but somehow I can imagine how hard it was for him to do his best to survive. Our government could have done a better job at looking for survivors, they’re so careless! Tsk tsk. This news is just devastating.
@Joni, I honestly keep thinking of Bebot in his last days and hours. What could have happened. I keep envisioning him swimming in those waters, not knowing where he was headed since the environment was dark, stormy, and the waves were so high.
It must have been so hard for him, just so hard.
I had only one dream of Bebot since the news of the tragedy. Him running around in the ship. I believe he jumped overboard, as they are trained to do when there is no other recourse. He would not have stayed in the ship.
Still, I’m just so sad. I’m still reeling. His wife, daughter, and mother, they are the ones most hardly hit.