Why Frank (Part 2)

It has been three weeks, and her body is not yet found.

I was in the office when I received a sobering text message from my sister, two weeks ago. She texted, “kasama daw sis ni Kuya Lagz sa lumubog na barko.” I felt I lost all my energies.

For several days – before I received that message - I was monitoring the updates of MV Princess of the Star capsizing, silently offering my prayers and sympathy to the tragedy’s victims and their families. I never thought that someone close to my family was among the victims.

My brother in law could have been there, too. He was supposed to go with his sister to see their old, dying mother who doesn’t see them for decades.

I am just thankful that Kuya Lags – who is now working in Tagaytay – decided to went to Bicol first to visit his wife (my sister) and his children (my niece and nephew). So he was not able to go with his sister.

I know the great pain that he is suffering right now.

I perfectly understand the feeling of grief and lost that the families of the victims have right now for I feel it, too, somehow.

I know that there are no amounts of sympathy, compensation and condolences could ease the feeling of lost and grief of the families of the victims.

Kuya Lagz and his siblings lost a sister.

Kuya Lagz’s wife (my sister) lost a nice sister in law.

Kuya Lagz’s children (my niece and nephew) lost a kind aunt.

Kuya Lagz’s brother in law lost a wife.

Kuya Lagz’s nieces and nephews lost a mother.

Kuya Lagz’s old, dying mother lost a daughter.

I am losing my heart!

We are wondering what she did when the ship’s captain shouted, “Abandon ship!!!”

Is she still inside the capsized ship?

Did she belong to the many corpses that floated and reached Bicol shores and is now deeply buried in the ground? Or, is she still floating on the seas!?

Did she die of too much cold, fear, hunger?

We do not know.

It is more painful that we do not know.



My brother in law worriedly waited for the reports in the pier here in Manila while their relatives were among the many families who were also grievingly waiting for the Sulpicio Lines’ report in Cebu.

As I have said, it has been three weeks and her body is not yet found. How I wish that the Sulpicio Lines just cancel the trip on that tragic day.

Now, it is reported that the Sulpicio Lines is claiming that the disaster was an “act of god.” We may think of that way if only to relieve us of so much grief and great pain.