ILOILO City – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Western Visayas is hopeful that the six remaining missing persons from Saturday’s capsizing of three boats in the Iloilo Strait survived.
Yesterday, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) deployed a Bell UH-1 “Super Huey” to conduct aerial-search operations over the Iloilo Strait, the body of water separating this city from the island province of Guimaras.
The helicopter, with tail number 890 and carrying para-rescue personnel from the Air Force’s 505th Search-and-Rescue Group, operated alongside the coastguard and the Philippine Navy, said Major Aristides Galang, PAF spokesperson.
At around 8 a.m. yesterday, PAF units over the Iloilo Strait spotted a body that was later retrieved by the PCG.
The victims was later identified as Romeo Baguio Sr. of Cebu City. He was the 28th confirmed casualty in the sea tragedy.
But what about the six remaining missing persons?
“Pwede na-washout alive sa coast or shoreline,” said Commodore Victor Dela Vega, PCG-6 district commander.
“We are hoping against hope na they are still alive. Sana nakauwi na at hindi lang nakapag-report. That is a possibility,” he added.
Dela Vega alerted PCG-6 personnel even as far away as Negros Occidental.
“Iloilo Strait is surrounded by islands. May mga coastal communities. Hopefully may boats na makakuha sa kanila,” he said.
The six missing persons, as identified by the Joint Incident Command Post of Iloilo City and Guimaras, were Rey Gajo, 21; Jhaeron Mars Salanatin, 13; Rommel Baguio, 31; Danilyn Alima; Ma.Granado; and Jose Cyril Serrato, 45.
A body should float 24 hours after drowning, said Dela Vega.
“We are now over 48 hours after the capsizing. Kung until tomorrow wala pang lumulutangm chances are alive sila but unaccounted,” he said.
Past noon on Saturday, M/B Chi Chi and M/B Keshia, both bound for Guimaras from Iloilo City, were hit by a squall or a sudden gust of violent winds and rain. They capsized.
At around 4 p.m. Iloilo City-bound M/B Jenny Vince from Guimaras was hit by another squall and also capsized.
The three boats had a total of 86 passengers but only 75 were recorded in their manifestos.
Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Donna Magno revealed that two passengers listed in boat manifestos and were initially reported missing actually did not push through their trip on Saturday.
This gave her hope, she said, that the six reported missing persons could still be alive.
Information also reached Panay News yesterday that Jose Cyril Serrato, one of the six reported missing, actually survived and had safely returned to his home in San Joaquin, Iloilo.
A photo post on the Facebook page of John Yanzon Diaz yesterday showed 45-year-old Serrato, a former barangay captain, narrating his experience during Saturday’s capsizing of M/B Jenny Vince.
One photo showed Serrato checking some of his documents that got wet./PN
