BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
AKLAN – Three days after his fishing boat was hit by a hotel speedboat and capsized, the missing Malay Ati Tribal Association (MATA) chieftain was found dead in the waters of Sitio Airport, Barangay Caticlan, Malay town on Saturday, April 8.
Victim Ernesto Coching, 64, was on a fishing trip with his son-in-law and fellow Aeta, Ricky Valencia, 37, past 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5. They were hit by the speed boat, DIWATA 4, owned by Shangri-La and Spa Resort-Boracay, according to the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group.
Valencia was rescued while Coching went missing.
“DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) secretary [Benjamin Abalos, Jr.] requested all divers ng Boracay to conduct a search and retrieval operation on Saturday mga 6 a.m. Later, around 11 a.m., may nakitang lumutang na katawan doon malapit sa runway ng airport, and it was confirmed na katawan ni Coching ‘yon,” said Aklan Provincial Police Office director Colonel Crisaleo R. Tolentino.
More than 35 volunteer divers joined the operation, which covered an area of around 25 hectares, added Tolentino.
Meanwhile, charges against speed boat skipper Mansueto Tana, who is being detained at the Malay Municipal Police Station, will be filed on Tuesday, April 11.
“Right after the incident, ang skipper ng speedboat ay arrested na. He will be facing at least three charges — reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury, at reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property,” said Tolentino.
Survivor Valencia recounted to Abalos that their fishing boat had lighting equipment and that the speedboat only temporarily stopped after the collision before allegedly speeding away.
On the other hand, Tolentino said there were claims the speedboat went to the hotel first to send off its guests before going back to the area of the incident.
“There was a claim kasi na after daw ng pagbangga, ay iniwan sila muna at binalikan lang. So titingnan namin kung papasok ba doon sa abandoning the victim. Pinag-aaralan pa,” said Tolentino.
Shangri-La Boracay, in a statement on Saturday, said it will fully cooperate with authorities with the investigation underway.
“Our priority right now is to continue supporting his next-of-kin, and other affected individuals and their family members and to assist them in any way we can,” it added./PN
