CA upholds ruling ordering Sulpicio Lines to pay P136M to victims' kin

The Court of Appeals affirms its decision on Sulpicio Line, ordering the shipping lines to pay P136 million to victims’ kin.

In its decision, the CA said that “gross negligence and bad faith” was committed by Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI), which owned the M/V Princess of Stars that sank off the coast of Romblon in 2008.

In its amended July 2025 decision, it ordered the owners of SLI, now renamed Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (PSACC), to pay the heirs/relatives of the 71 victims P136,329,914.38.

With the said ruling, it also reaffirmed the personal liability of the shipowners — Enrique Go, Eusebio Go, Carlos Go, Victoriano Go, Dominador Go, Ricardo Go, Edward Go, and Edgar Go — that “they were grossly negligent in directing its affairs and they are solidarily liable with the PSACC to the appellees.”

The amended decision stated, “As borne by the evidence on record, the actuations of the appellants during the incident attending the unfortunate sinking of the Stars were far below the standard of care and circumspection that the law on common carriers demanded.”

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), which handles the civil cases of the victims’ heirs and relatives, hailed the CA’s amended decision, saying they knew from the start that the ship owners were criminally and civilly liable.

It said evidence would show that the shipowners were grossly negligent in their management of PSACC and in their failure to take decisive action that could have prevented the tragic event.

Each heir of the four survivors — Gerardo Pelimer, Francisco Batula, Sosan Lisbo, and Rodel Laborte — was awarded by the court P400,000 in moral damages and another P400,000 in exemplary damages.

The CA explained in its amended decision that the survivors-appellees had to struggle to survive the raging storm and, in the course of their struggle, they had to witness their loved ones die.

On 21 June 2008, or 17 years ago, the M/V Princess of Stars sank off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon, at the height of Typhoon Frank, resulting in the death of 814 passengers.