BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Negros Occidental launched a search and rescue operation yesterday. Two fishermen failed to return home.
The fishermen were 19-year-old Noel Dela Cruz and 29-year-old Joevel Tipon, both residents of Binalbagan town.
Captain Ludovico Librilla, PCG-Negros Occidental commander and Coast Guard District Western Visayas deputy commander, said the two men set out to sea on Dec. 14.
They were last spotted at around 4 p.m. of the same day in the waters between Guiwanin Island, Guimaras Island and Pontevedra, Negros Occidental.
Dela Cruz and Tipon were supposed to be home by Dec. 15 but failed to do so, making their families worry.
Librilla said they issued an alert to all seagoing vessels to be on the lookout for the two missing fishermen.
He did not discount the possibility that the two men were simply taking shelter in nearby islands due to inclement weather./PN
