CEBU CITY, Philippines - Nearly two months after the Princess of the Stars tragedy, another Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) vessel figured in a sea mishap, this time at the Cebu International Port past 10 a.m on Monday.But SLI captain Nestor Ponteres said their vessel, the MV Princess of the South, was hit by Superferry 12 owned by the Aboitiz shipping company.
Hundreds of Superferry 12 passengers were stranded for three hours. The crew had to untangle the anchors of both ships manually. Ponteres said the MV Princess of the South had just docked at the CIP about 8 a.m on Monday when the incident occurred. Both vessels were scheduled to leave for Cagayan de Oro City. Strong winds caused Superferry 12's starboard side to hit the forward portion of the Sulpicio vessel, leaving an eight inch-diameter wide hole. “We were hit. The Superferry pulled out and got hit by the winds,” Ponteres said in Cebuano. He assured the hole did not affect the vessel's seaworthiness. He added that it was set sail later that evening. The MV Princess of the South carried only cargoes, not passengers. The SLI planned to file a complaint against the management and crew of Superferry 12. Port officials will investigate the incident. Superferry 12 left Cebu at 12:45 p.m on Monday. In a statement, the Aboitiz Transport System (ATS) said the Superferry 12 was performing “undocking maneuvers at the Cebu port” when its anchor got entangled with the Sulpicio vessel's anchor. “Despite the delay, the vessel will arrive in Cagayan port on schedule. No significant damage was incurred. All the passengers are safe,” Jess Supan, vice president of safety and security of ATS, said in a text message on Monday. Following last June's MV Princess of the Stars tragedy, the Maritime Development Authority (Marina) allowed three SLI vessels to sail but only to transport cargoes. Aside from Princess of the South, Sulpicio vessels MV Princess of the Earth was allowed to service the Cebu-Nasipit-Cebu route while MV Cotabato Princess was cleared to service the Manila, Iloilo-Zamboanga-Cotabato route and vice versa. Meanwhile, Coast Guard commandant Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo directed Commander Antonio Cuasito, Coast Guard district Central/Eastern Visayas chief of staff and spokesman, to coordinate with the local Maritime Industry Authority for an immediate inspection of the Princess of the South. /with Inquirer report | 
