50 bodies spotted floating off Burias Island - Navy official

MANILA, Philippines - The 50 bodies spotted off Burias Island in Masbate province have not been recovered,Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo the spokesman for the Philippine Navy clarified Wednesday. It was earlier reported that 50 bodies, believed to be from the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, have been retrieved at 17 nautical miles off Burias Island.Arevalo said although Navy personnel have already been sent to the area, there is no word yet if the bodies have already been loaded to the Navy ship.Arevalo said he was informed by officials of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon about the presence of at least 50 bodies in the area, or 20 more than previously reported by the US P3 Orion.He however confirmed that three bodies have been retrieved at Palana Point and seven in San Pascual town, also in Masbate province.Earlier in the day, an Air Force official said 32 bodies recovered also in San Pascual town have for the past two days have been buried to avert a possible outbreak of disease.Air Force Col. John Estuesta said that residents of San Pascual town retrieved 19 bodies on Tuesday and 13 bodies the day after, citing reports of local officials.Estuesta, also a commander of the PAF tactical operations group IV, said the bodies have been buried in a mass grave to prevent disease since the corpses were already decomposing.