2 NPA guerillas killed in Cagayan identified

By Freddie Lazaro

CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela – The two New People’s Army rebels killed in an encounter with soldiers in Barangay San Carlos, Gattaran, Cagayan on December 23 have been identified.
    Major Rigor Pamittan, spokesperson of the 5th Infantry Division, said on Wednesday the fatalities were identified through members of their unit who surrendered.
    Pamittan identified the fatalities as Maria Valencia, an amazon from Tatalon, Quezon City, and “Ka Jero” of General Santos City.
    “The real name of Ka Jero is subject for verification and validation,” Pamittan said.
    Their bodies are under custody of Gattaran police while the military is coordinating with families of the two slain communist rebels.
    Major Gen. Audrey L. Pasia, commander of the 5th ID, urged NPA guerillas in Cagayan to surrender.
    Pamittan said they were pursuing NPA remnants in Region 2 or Cagayan Valley.
    On Christmas Day, the 95th Infantry Battalion and 52nd Division Reconnaissance Company seized an R4 rifle, one M-16 rifle, bandoliers, medical paraphernalia, subversive documents, and personal belongings owned by the NPA in Barangay T. Elizaga, Gattaran.

Read more...

Woman ‘alive’ after plane crash but did not survive jungle

By Vince Jacob Visaya

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- The lone passenger of the ill-fated Piper plane with tail number RP-C1234 was probably alive when it crashed in the Sierra Madre forest in Isabela on Nov. 30.
    This was the assessment of the rescuers who found her remains 200 meters away from the plane's wreckage in San Mariano, Isabela.
    The passenger was identified as Erna Escalante, a 43-year-old barangay health worker in Dimapnat, Divilacan, Isabela.
    "She had her personal belongings with her and with some food when found. She was alive after the crash but was unable to survive the Sierra Madre," AK9 Mandog Sniffer Volunteers head Red Oliva Lim told reporters here.
    The rescue team arrived at the crash site on December 7 and found the remains of the pilot, Capt. Levy Abul 2nd, among the wreckage.
    The team, however, did not find the woman in the wreckage but saw a makeshift shelter nearby and traces of snack foods in the area, hinting that the passenger was probably alive after the plane crashed. With the help of scent-tracking dogs, her remains were located in a slopy part of the forest on December 10.
    The rescuers hinted that her wounds, previous illnesses and days of no food or water intake may have had an adverse effect on her.
    As this developed, scent-tracking dogs have been met with accolades at the command site for the successful retrieval of the body.
    The smallest among the three rescuer dogs, an eight-year-old beagle named Wheel, was the one who helped the team find Escalante's body.
    "Wheel has a great smell and tracking instincts," Lim said, adding that the two other dogs, Drake and Bekong, also helped in retrieval operations.
    The Piper PA-32-300 plane owned by the Fliteline Airways and operated by Cyclone Airways, departed Cauayan Airport at 9:39 a.m. on Nov. 30 and was supposed to arrive at Palanan Airport at 10:23 a.m. on the same day of the crash.
 

Read more...

Pilot dead in plane crash site; hope up female passenger alive

By Vince Jacob Visaya

SAN MARIANO, Isabela -- The body of the pilot of the Piper plane that went missing last week was found Thursday by a search and rescue team in the jungles of the Sierra Madre rainforests.
    However, the lone female passenger was "not found in the vicinity" of the crash site here in Barangay Casala, the Incident Management Team reported Thursday, Dec. 7, giving hope to rescuers she surived.
    The plane's pilot was identified as Capt. Levy Abul 2nd while the lone passenger was Erma Escalante, 43, of Palanan town, Isabela.
"Around 11 a.m. of Dec. 7, rescuers that were dispatched a day earlier reached the wreckage of the Piper plane," said Joshua Hapinat, spokesman of the IMT, in a statement.
    "Sadly, the pilot was found lifeless. The lone passenger was not found in the vicinity. However, she appears to have survived the crash as indicated by a makeshift shelter that she presumably put up near the wreckage."
    The Piper PA-32-300 plane owned by the Fliteline Airways and operated by Cyclone Airways, departed Cauayan Airport at 9:39 a.m. on Nov. 30 and was supposed to arrive at Palanan Airport at 10:23 a.m. on the same day.
    Rescuers brought the remains of the pilot to a helicopter landing zone, hoisted aboard, and then flown to the Tactical Operations Group 2 in Cauayan City," Hapinat said.
    Teams of K9 trackers, who were earlier on standby, were fetched from their locations to be brought to Cauayan City.
    "The K9 trackers will be flown and dropped near the wreckage. Starting at the site of the wreckage, the K9 trackers will then follow the path that the passenger took through the scent that she left on the vegetation that she passed by," he added.
    The IMT has not released photographs or videos of the wreckage site to the media.

Read more...

Rider killed after hitting tractor in Isabela; buried

QUEZON, Isabela – The body of a 52-year-old rider who died after the motorcycle he was driving hit a tractor here Nov. 22 was buried last week.
    The casualty, identified as George Viernes, of Santa Maria, Isabela, was traversing the road in Quezon on said day when he met the accident.
    Viernes’s motorcycle allegedly struck the back of the tractor, driven by Rodolfo Natividad, 56, a resident of Barangay Mangga, Quezon.
    Police said the two vehicles were in the same lane when the incident transpired.
    Due to the force of the impact, the victim sustained severe injuries to various parts of his body.
    He was rushed to a hospital by the responding authorities but declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
    The two vehicles involved in the incident were placed in the custody of the Quezon Police Station for proper disposition.

Drunk rider dies after crashing into a wall

SAN MATEO, Isabela -- A 30-year-old man who was driving drunk died in a road crash here that claimed his life recently.
    The victim, identified as Joey Senense, along with his friends, went on a drinking spree Nov. 26.
    After their drinking session, he decided to go home.
    His buddies tried to stop him, but he persisted and drove off.
    While on his way home, his motorcycle crashed into a wall, causing him to fall into a cemented canal.
    The victim sustained severe head injuries due to the incident.
    Responding authorities rushed him to a hospital in the city, but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
    Investigation conducted and witnesses bared Senense, a resident of San Mateo, Isabela, was speeding when the incident transpired.

Man drowns in Abra River; folks search for body

LANGIDEN, Abra – Authorities and local folks are still searching for a man believed to have drowned in the Abra River Tuesday, Dec. 5.
    Joseph Borreta, 32, married, went out for a fishing trip with his brother and father, Jovencio Borreta, on Monday.
    They were to cross the river along Quillat, Langiden to get to the fishing area.
Jovencio crossed the river first, while the younger Borreta swam his way towards him.
    Unfortunately, Joseph was not able to make it to the other side.
    When Jovencio heard his son asking for help, he tried to save him but it was too late, Joseph had been swept away.
    He immediately called for fellow fishermen and authorities for help who are still searching for his son’s body as of presstime.

Jovencio said his son was a swimmer but he might have been exhausted, causing him to drown.

Authorities warned drowning is not something you can survive because you can swim.

 

 

Read more...

P12-M marijuana seized in Isabela buy-bust; 4 nabbed

 Kalinga plantation yields P5.3-M ‘grass’ 

By Vince Jacob Visaya

QUEZON, Isabela -- Police seized P12 million worth of dried marijuana bricks from four alleged drug dealers in a buy-bust in Purok 1, Abut village here, on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
    Col. Julio Go, provincial police director of Isabela, said that four suspects from nearby Tabuk City in Kalinga were caught selling the items to a poseur-buyer.
    Operatives of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) in Isabela and Kalinga seized the marijuana bricks Tuesday.
    At least 100 kilos of marijuana worth P12 million were confiscated in Barangay Abut, PDEG director Col. Dionisio Bartolome Jr. said.
    Arrested were Troy Balloc, 32; August Malnag, 28; Ericson Wacnang, 25 and Jesrael Maggongoy, 18.
    Police said the confiscated 66 marijuana bricks were found inside six boxes.
    Also seized from the suspects were a caliber 9-mm gun, a magazine and the buy-bust money.
    The suspected drug dealers were brought to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit 2, while the confiscated items were brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory in Roxas, Isabela, for testing.
    In Kalinga, marijuana plants worth P5.3 million were uprooted and burned in Barangay Butbut Proper in Tinglayan.
 

Read more...

SNAP-Magat hosts fora in Ifugao and Isabela

 POWER TRENDS

Katherine Mariano

SN Aboitiz Power-Magat (SNAP-Magat) shared the importance of hydropower as a renewable source of energy during its annual host communities' forum with the theme "Creating a Sustainable Energy Future: The Impact of Climate Change on Hydropower and Our Communities" on October 17 and 18, 2023 in Ifugao, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya respectively.
    The two-day forum brought together around 200 Ifugaos, Isabelinos, and Nueva Vizcayanos from local governments and indigenous peoples organizations (IPOs).
    In his keynote speech, SNAP Group president and CEO Joseph Yu talked about the impact of climate change on hydropower operations.
    He highlighted the company's focus on reducing the impacts of climate change through sustainable practices and equitable solutions to create a better future for its communities.
    "We continue to leverage new technology such as improved weather and inflow forecasting to optimize the operations of our hydropower plants. We are also developing other renewable sources such as solar and RE-complementary technologies like battery energy storage systems," Yu said.
    A message of support for SNAP was expressed by the Gov. of Ifugao, Jerry Dalipog, during the HCF in Banaue, Ifugao. In his speech, he stressed how he supports the need to develop more renewable energy resources in their province.
    For the past 16 years, the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) and community investment initiatives have supported 601 projects valued at around P337million.
    This includes providing educational, health, and livelihood assistance, as well as investing in cultural and heritage protection, infrastructure and environmental initiatives.
    In 2022, the company renewed its sustainability commitment by integrating it into core strategies. They also embarked on an avifauna assessment along the Upper Magat watershed to support conservation efforts.
    To date, the company has planted 216,800 seedlings covering 195 hectares. These initiatives demonstrate the company's dedication to renewable energy solutions and proactive measures to protect biodiversity.
    Such efforts were supported by Nueva Vizcaya Vice Gov. Eufemia Dacayo who stressed the significance of SNAP as it relates to environmental protection in their province.  
    "Addressing the challenges of climate change go hand-in-hand with our commitment to the progress of our communities; I look forward to working together with you to create a sustainable energy future," Yu said.
    SN Aboitiz Power-Magat (SNAP-Magat) is a joint venture of Scatec and Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP).
    Scatec is a leading renewable energy solutions provider, accelerating access to reliable and affordable clean energy in emerging markets. As a long-term player, they develop, build, own and operate renewable energy plants, with 4.6 GW in operation and under construction across four continents today. They are committed to growing their renewable energy capacity, delivered by their 800 passionate employees and partners who are driven by a common vision of ‘Improving our Future’. Scatec is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘SCATC’.
    AP is the holding company of the Philippines-based Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services. It advances business and communities by providing reliable and ample power supply at a reasonable and competitive price, and with the least adverse effects on the environment and host communities.
    SNAP-Magat owns and operates the Magat hydroelectric power plant which has a nameplate capacity of 360 MW and maximum capacity of 388 MW on the border of Isabela and Ifugao; and the 8.5-MW Maris hydro in Isabela. The non-power components such as dams, reservoirs, and spillways are owned, managed, and operated by the government.
 

Read more...

23 students 'possessed by evil spirit'

By Freddie Lazaro

CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela – Twenty-three students of the Reina Mercedes National High School in Reina Mercedes, this province, were allegedly possessed by an evil spirit on Sept. 22.
    Department of Education (DepEd)-Isabela Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Rachel Llana said they have sent a clergy to Reina Mercedes to probe the incident. The LGU of Reina Mercedes is also conducting a parallel probe on the incident.
    Llana said they and the local government unit have held a Mass in the school. 
    She advised parents to keep calm and strengthen their faith in God and hoped that the incident would not happen again.
    Jeffrey Ancheta, a school teacher, said that he was about to start class at about 1 p.m. when one of his students suddenly lost consciousness. 
    The student was taken to the air-conditioned principal’s room to rest but then lost her emotions.
Ancheta said about 22 other students followed and they, too, lost consciousness and their emotions and some were crying.
    The students reportedly went home after the evil spirit left them.
    After the incident, the school asked the clergy to pray and protect the students. 

 

 

 

Read more...

Pineapple oversupply in Cagayan, Isabela; buyers wanted

By Victor Martin

Hogs and horses in Cagayan and Isabela have been feasting on pineapples due to oversupply and lack of buyers, authorities reported Monday.
    Farmers’ group Rural Rising Philippines said the oversupply was recorded in Echague and San Guillermo in Isabela and Santa Ana in Cagayan.
    “There are no buyers. There will be no income from this harvest. What a painful irony – the animals feast while their owners go hungry. We’re talking tons of pineapples, not just a few kilos,” Rural Rising Philippines founder Ace Estrada said.
Estrada said the pineapples are also rotting in the fields.
    “Even these lucky animals can only eat so much. The rest of the fruits are uneaten, unseen and rotting in the fields,” Estrada said.
    He said his group would buy at least three tons of pineapples to help local farmers recover from their losses.
    “We are taking three tons and we’ve gathered barely a ton of orders. We need everyone to get two tons more,” he said.
    Estrada said the public could help by ordering pineapples at P249 for seven kilos or P35 per piece.
    “That’s five times cheaper than the prices in the supermarkets,” Estrada said, adding the pineapples are of a special variety from Hawaii.
    “It pains us seeing these images. It’s massive food waste bordering on social injustice. We must help the farmers directly in the face of overproduction,” Estrada said.
 

Read more...

16 town gov’t workers get Covid-19; masks ordered

By Vince Jacob Visaya

CABATUAN, Isabela -- The local government unit here has implemented mandatory wearing of masks among government workers in its offices since May 19, local officials said.
    This came after 16 town hall workers were confirmed Covid-19 positive in both antigen and RT-PCR tests.
    The workers, who do not have travel histories, were placed under a seven-day home quarantine. Disinfection was also carried out in municipal offices.
    Mayor Bernardo Garcia earlier ordered a half-day of work on Friday as contact tracing is ongoing.
    Two days ago, two contractual workers under the Government Internship Program tested positive for the Covid-19 virus and were placed under home quarantine for seven days. Garcia tasked the Rural Health Unit-Cabatuan and PNP-Cabatuan police in implementing the mandatory wearing of masks among workers in the local public places. Villagers were also urged to use masks.
    Mask distribution and information drives in the town have been imposed.
    Earlier, eleven teachers and two students of the Cabatuan National High School were put under home isolation last week after they were confirmed Covid positive.
    The classes were also held either online or modular until Friday.

 

Read more...

Councilor dies in car crash

By Vince Jacob Visaya

SAN MATEO, Isabela -- A 46-year-old town councilor of this town and his companion died after their car rammed a concrete roadside fence and turned upside down in Barangay Saranay May 14 around 12:10 a.m. police said.
    Cpt. Scarlet Topinio, an Isabela police spokesman, identified the fatalities as councilor Michael Angelo Ramones, native of Villa Magat in the town, and Mario Acupan, a village watchman in Villa Gamiao also in San Mateo.
    Critical was Sonny Baysa, 49, village head of Villa Gamiao.
    Ramones, who speedily drove his car on their way home to San Mateo, allegedly miscalculated the sharp curve and hit the roadside concrete fence.
    The wrecked car turned upside down.
    The victims were brought to the Cabatuan Family Hospital but Ramones and Acupan were declared dead on arrival while Baysa was still in critical condition at press time.
 

Read more...

CAAP completes probe of Cessna crash site

By Vince Jacob Visaya

CAUAYAN CITY -- Six investigators and mechanics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) wrapped up their field investigation in the crash site of the Cessna 206 plane with tail number RP-C1174 in Barangay Ditarum, Divilacan, Isabela, the local Disaster Risk Reduction Management officer said.
    Engineer Ezikiel Chavez, Divilacan DRRM officer, told reporters here CAAP probers completed field investigation and safely back to the village proper after their sortie with the 95th Infantry Battalion soldiers, two Divilacan police, two Divilacan rescuers and six volunteer Dumagat natives at the site along the Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges.
    The investigators gathered vital parts of the plane to complete their probe.
    Results of the investigation have yet to be released by the civil aviation authorities.
    The team members also scoured the area in an effort to find the decapitated head of one of the fatalities (whose name was not disclosed), but they failed to find it.
    The plane's pilot, Capt. Eleazar Mark Joven, and the five passengers — Val Kamatoy, Rom Joshtle Manaday, Mark Siguerra, Xam Siguerra and Perla Josefa España — died in the crash.
    The plane was supposed to touch down at Maconacon Airport in Maconacon, Isabela when it crashed on Jan. 24.
    On March 9, the debris and the remains of the plane's pilot and passengers were found by the ground search teams in Ditarum village.

 

Read more...

CAAP completes probe at Cessna crash site

By Vince Jacob Visaya

CAUAYAN CITY: Six investigators and mechanics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have wrapped up their field investigation in the crash site of the Cessna 206 plane with tail number RP-C1174 in Barangay Ditarum, Divilacan, Isabela, the local Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) officer said.

    Engineer Ezikiel Chavez, Divilacan DRRM officer, told reporters here that the CAAP probers completed the field investigation and were safely back to the village proper after their sortie with the 95th Infantry Battalion soldiers, two Divilacan police, two Divilacan rescuers and six volunteer Dumagat natives at the site along the Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges.

    The investigators gathered vital parts of the plane to complete their probe. The results of the investigation have yet to be released by the civil aviation authorities.
    The team members also scoured the area in an effort to find the decapitated head of one of the fatalities (whose name was not disclosed), but they failed to find it.
    The plane's pilot, Capt. Eleazar Mark Joven, and the five passengers — Val Kamatoy, Rom Joshtle Manaday, Mark Siguerra, Xam Siguerra and Perla Josefa España — died in the crash.
    The plane was supposed to touch down at Maconacon Airport in Maconacon, Isabela when it crashed on January 24.
    On March 9, the debris and the remains of the plane's pilot and passengers were found by the ground search teams in Ditarum village.

Read more...

Missing Cessna plane found in Isabela town; pilot, 5 passengers dead

CAUAYAN CITY -- The Isabela Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office on Thursday confirmed the missing Cessna aircraft has been found after searching for more than a month.
    However, the Isabela Incident Management Team said the pilot and five passengers on board did not survive the plane crash as their remains were found in Barangay Ditarum, Divilacan, Isabela Thursday, March 9.
    Killed were six passengers on board, including the pilot in the crashed Cessna RPC 1174 identified as pilot Captain Eleazar Mark Joven and passengers Tommy Manday, Val Kamatoy, Mark Eiron Siguerra, Xam Siguerra and Josefa Perla España.
    Rescuers were working to bring down the remains at press time which could take at least three days, officials said.
    A search team found the plane within the 20-km radius of the Maconacon Airport where it was heading to on Jan. 24, said Isabela IMT head Constante Foronda.
    Foronda added that a former official from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will visit the crash site to investigate the incident.
    “Hopefully they can go there themselves so they can see with their own eyes the wreckage and make a more accurate determination and conclusion,” Foronda said.
    The CAAP earlier reported the six-seater Cessna C206 plane with tail number RPC 1174 took off from Cauayan Airport in Isabela and about half an hour into its flight, the aircraft failed to respond to the CAAP flight monitoring team, as it was supposed to arrive at 2:45 p.m. in Maconacon town.
    It did not reach its destination.
    Isabela PDRRMO said the weather was clear when the plane left Cauayan Airport, but the wind went turbulent around the mountain range of Sierra Madre.
    It backed the report that a witness saw the plane spiraling down in the Sierra Madre mountains.
    The CAAP earlier said that all Cessna planes in the Philippines passed mandatory requirements set by the government before they were allowed to fly.
    The plane was supposed to land at 3 p.m. on Jan. 24, but did not reach its destination.
    Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio earlier said around 3:17 p.m. that Tuesday, they received a report that a C206 Plane identified as RPC1174 did not arrive at its intended destination at Maconacon Airport.
    The plane departed from Cauayan Airport at 2:15 p.m. and its last contact with the air traffic controller was at 2:19 p.m. when it was within the vicinity of Naguillian Bridge.
The plane was expected to arrive at Maconacon at 2:45 p.m.
    "At 03:15 p.m. communication search was initiated by Cauayan Tower. Due to lack of response from     RPC1174, Alert Level was elevated and search and rescue commenced at around 4:00 p.m." Apolonio said.
    Authorities searched and conducted rescue op for the missing Cessna 206 aircraft until it was found Thursday. -- With wire reports

Read more...

CPP-NPA member arrested for slay

By Leander C. Domingo

CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela -- A warrant of arrest was served against a member of the New People's Army (NPA) at the 5th Infantry Division (5ID) Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz Station Hospital here.
    According to Capt. Rigor Pamittan, 5ID Public Affairs Office chief, Yusida Orion alias Brown was charged with three counts of attempted murder based on the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Isaac de Alban of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 16, in Ilagan City. Pamittan said Orion is allowed to post bail amounting to P120,000 for each of the criminal cases.
    It was the San Mariano town police who served the warrant to Orion on February 15. According to police, Orion was also a member of the Kabataan Makabayan, tagged by authorities as an underground youth organization, while studying at the De La Salle University. He became a regular armed member of the NPA-Benito Tesorio Command in 2015 in Isabela. In 2018, he was then assigned as squad leader of Komiteng Larangan Guerilla Quirino-Nueva Vizcaya and became the secretary of the Regional Sentro de Gravidad, Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley until it was dismantled in 2022. Pamittan said Orion was abandoned by his comrades after a firefight in Baggao town in Cagayan province which led to his surrender to the military. He said further investigation into Orion's person revealed that he has a standing warrant of arrest issued on June 5, 2022. Pamittan said Orion is still confined at the Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz Station Hospital for medical treatment

Read more...

Two NPA rebels slain, weapons recovered in 2 Cagayan firefights

By Liezle Basa Inigo

CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela — The 5th Infantry Division (5ID) and the Provincial Task Force-End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) of Cagayan reported the death of two New People’s Army members after two encounters in Barangay Sta. Margarita, Baggao, Cagayan, on Monday, Feb. 13.
    The 17th Infantry Battalion was patrolling in the forested area of Barangay Sta. Margarita when they clashed with approximately 15 rebels believed to be members of the Cagayan Provincial Committee-Regional Committee-Cagayan Valley.
    The encounter lasted for over 30 minutes, resulting in the death of one NPA and recovery of an M16A1 with a magazine.
    The rebels immediately fled.
    In the ensuing pursuit operation, the troops belonging to the 17th Infantry Battalion were able to track down the rebels. For the second time, a clash lasting for about 15 minutes erupted.
    Another member of the terrorist group was killed and a Bushmaster rifle with a magazine was recovered.
    Meanwhile, authorities encouraged remaining members of the terrorist group to return to the government.

Read more...

Search on for plane; six missing in Sierra Madre

By Ma. Cristina Arayata 

CAUAYAN, Isabela -- Search operations continue two weeks after a Cessna plane went missing in Isabela province, an official of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) bared on Tuesday.
    "The search started last Jan. 24. Until now, we haven't found it," CAAP Deputy Director General Edgardo Diaz said in a public briefing in Manila.
    Search operations are being done with the military, civic organizations and the local government.
    Six people are aboard the RPC1174 Cessna 206 plane that has been missing after leaving the Cauayan Airport. Authorities reported that the plane's last contact with the air traffic controller was at 2:19 p.m. last Jan. 24 when the aircraft was within the vicinity of Naguilian Bridge in Isabela.
    It was supposed to reach Maconacon Airport at 2:45 p.m., but no response was received from the aircraft.
    "We are following the Civil Aviation Organization's regulations. The search will continue until those conducting the operations are not officially declaring the termination of search operations," Diaz said.
    The Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Coast Guard, the provincial government of Isabela, and other volunteer groups are helping CAAP in searching for the missing plane, he said.
    Meanwhile, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said two PAF helicopters flew near Mount Moises in Isabela on Tuesday.
    However, they went back to base due to low clouds and poor visibility, Apolonio told the Philippine News Agency.
    Apolonio added that two PAF helicopters and another two aircraft were dispatched on Monday to assist in the operations, but the search effort "has not turned up anything conclusive about the location of RPC1174." -- PNA 

Read more...

Plane still missing; ‘debris’ found, but searchers sick

By Francis Earl Cueto and Vice Jacob Visaya

ILAGAN, Isabela – The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Isabela said they are tracing an object that could be a debris from a Cessna plane that had gone missing.
    Isabela Provincial Information Office administrative officer Joshua Hapinat said in a radio interview that the object was spotted by residents living near Barangay Sapinit in Divilacan, Isabela.
    A rescue team has been deployed to verify the given information.
    "I have received an information that as of 6:45 a.m., people at 25 kilometers near the Ilagan-Divilacan Road reported that they spotted an object that could be a wreckage of the plane on the mountain side near Sapinit," Hapinat said in Filipino.
    The PDRRMC on Friday said a white object was seen in Barangay Dicaruyan, Divilacan, Isabela where a search and rescue operation for the missing Cessna plane was launched.
    According to PDRRMC head Constante Foronda, a farmer, said he had heard sounds coming from an aircraft.

Read more...

Kin pray missing plane's passengers still alive in Sierra Madre mountains

By Vince Jacob Visaya

CAUAYAN CITY -- It has been more than a week since the Cessna plane was reported missing in Isabela but the relatives of the five passengers and the pilot believe they survived the crash in the Sierra Madre mountains.
    "We firmly believe and pray that they are safe and we hope that they will be home soon," Anna May Kamatoy said.
    Kamatoy is the mother of 20-year-old Mark Eiron and 10-year-old Xam Siguerra, aunt of 15-year-old Rom Josthle "RJ" Manaday, and sister of 34-year-old Val Kamatoy.
    The plane's fifth passenger was identified as Josefa Perla España, a trader from Maconacon, and the pilot was Capt. Eleazar Mark Joven.
    Kamatoy said she and her mother remain in Silang, Cavite, while waiting for news while their other relatives have been in Isabela to personally coordinate with the search and rescue teams.
    On Jan. 24, the Gen AV Cessna aircraft with tail number RP-C1174 departed Cauayan Domestic Airport at 2:16 p.m. and was supposed to land at 3 p.m. at the Maconacon airport.
    Kamatoy, meanwhile, denied reports that Mark Eiron was able to send a text message and chat to his friends that they were heading back to Cauayan City due to bad weather. Kamatoy admitted getting the information but it was confirmed to be untrue when she called up her son's friends to verify the information.

Her son's last message in their group chat was when they were about to take off after boarding the plane.

Kamatoy tried to ask the telecommunications company if they could track and locate his son's mobile phone but without success.

She thanked rescuers for continuing to find the plane and asked for God's guidance and grace.

The multisector teams have 105 rescuers for aerial and ground searches aside from local volunteer groups.

Kamatoy also said that Builders Corp., the plane's owner, has not reached out to her to offer any form of assistance.

"Why are they not contacting us? And why are they not helping us?" she asked.

 

Read more...

Search on for missing light plane in Isabela

By Liezle Basa Inigo

SAN MARIANO, Isabela -- Authorities have stepped search for the missing Cessna 206 light plane in this province.
    The Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, and the Bureau of Fire and Protection scoured Barangays Sapinit and Dicambangan in Divilacan and Barangay Dibuluan in San Mariano, Isabela on Thursday, Jan. 26, for the single engine plane with registry number RP-C 1174.
    A report from the Police Regional Office 2 said a search-and-rescue team from the Maconacon, Isabela police and 1st Isabela Police Provincial Mobile Force went to Barangay Dicambangan to conduct information gathering at 5:30 a.m.
    In the afternoon, a SAR team from Divilacan police and BFP proceeded to Barangay Dicaroyan in Divilacan for the same purpose.
    Two Philippine Air Force choppers were dispatched to conduct SAR.
    The plane went missing a few minutes after departing the Cauayan City Airport for Maconacon with six people on board on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 24.
    A local radio station reported that the plane left Cauayan City at 2:16 p.m. and was scheduled to land in Maconacon 30 minutes later.
    The radio station identified the occupants of the plane as Eleazar Mark Joven, pilot, and passengers Tom Josthle Manday, Val Kamatoy, Mark Eiron Siguerra, Xam Siguerra, and Josefa Perla Espana.
Constante Foronda, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer of Isabela, said they immediately conducted aerial surveillance on the missing plane but found nothing.
    It was reported that the pilot bared their final location in a part of Naguilian, Isabela.
    Another plane did not travel due to turbulence.
    Foronda urged the public if there are sightings of the plane to inform the PDRRMO and authorities.
    The 5th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army reported that PAF-TOG2 commander Col. Sadiri Tabutol said they will continue search and rescue operations when the weather improves.
Weather will be cloudy due to easterlies.
    Rain was recorded in areas where the plane passed.

Read more...

5 kids hurt in car-motorcycle Cordon crash

By Villamor Visaya Jr. 

CORDON, Isabela — Five children were injured, two of them in critical condition due to head injuries, after a car hit the motorcycle they were riding on Tuesday in this town.
    The police said a 12-year-old boy was driving the motorcycle, which carried four children aged 5, 8, 9, and 10 as back riders.
    Initial investigation showed that the motorcycle was crossing the road on its way to Malapat Elementary School when bumped by a sport utility vehicle driven by Cesar Lim, 53, a retired government worker in Santiago City.
    The collision threw the children from their motorcycle, causing injuries. They were taken to the Southern Isabela Medical Center in Santiago for treatment.
    The police said Lim surrendered to the authorities and face a case of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries.

Read more...