DNA, Doubts and Closure

I read the article posted on the Sunstar website that reported about PAO (Public Attorneys Office) decision to retain the ship captain of the ill-fated Princess of the Stars as one of the defendants in the civil suits they filed against the shipping company. They apparently have doubts if the purported body of the ship captain whom his family has already buried was actually his despite of the DNA results.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/09/19/news/pao.to.retain.skipper.s.name.among.defendants.html

What is DNA? According to Wikipedia, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules. The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in regulating the use of this genetic information. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA)

The DNA testing was done through the collaboration of the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and Interpol (International Police). Despite of what the result says, groups of individuals still have doubts about its veracity. I don’t know if the doubt stemmed from the fact that one of the governing bodies in charge of testing is perceived to be corrupt. I’m just wondering though if the DNA result was actually shown to the concerned families or was it also hidden from them. If it was hidden, why so?

On the other note, I don’t think it (tragedy/accident) was intentionally done. A person (the ship captain) or a group of people (like the shipping company) may have lack of judgment or have made wrong decisions on whether to let the ship sail despite the fact that it’s headed to the region where the storm has ravaged but still I doubt if it was their intention to harm the hundreds of passengers aboard the ship. It was tragedy. You may blame it on Frank, the storm or you may blame God for the bad weather but regardless of who you point fingers at, you cannot bring back the dead.

The tragedy has left many families destroyed. My parents have a friend who lost his wife and 3 little children on that tragic event. They (my parents) said that the husband is really devastated. His youngest son who died when the ship sank was barely 2 years old, about the same age as my daughter. I feel his pain. I may not know what it’s like to loose a loved one like that but I know it’s painful.

Nobody will have the closure we all longed for if we are not going to accept that the tragedy happened and it was very unfortunate that our loved one was among those who perished.

But this is the reality, all of us, whether we like it or not will go through a certain degree of pains in our lives. It does not matter what degree of pain that is because there’s measure for pain and suffering as there is no measure for love.

(Note: I would like to extend my sincerest condolence to the families who lost loved one during the tragic sinking of the Princess of the Stars.)