Search on for Ifugao inmate who bolted jail

KIANGAN, Ifugao – Law officers in Ifugao are still on the lookout for an inmate who is at large after escaping jail here.
    Kiangan police earlier reported to the Ifugao Police Provincial Office, they were conducting headcount of prisoners at around 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 20, at the Ifugao District Jail located at Tiger Hill, Ibulao, Baguinge here when they discovered that a 24-year-old detainee was nowhere to be found.
    The inmate who escaped was identified as Esteban Angihan Paldo, single, resident of Poblacion West, Lamut, Ifugao.
    He was detained on the third floor of the detention building for murder, direct assault with attempted homicide, and charges for violation of the Anti-Carnapping Act, all of which are pending in court.
    Jail Chief Inspector Gannisi Olosan said Paldo destroyed the bars of his cell then jumped over the perimeter fence and fled.
    Police urged the public to give information that may lead to the capture of Paldo by report to the nearest police station or contact 0998-598-7802.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Missing man's body found in Cagayan river

UNIDENTIFIED -- The body of this man discovered floating in the Dummun River, Gattraran, Cagayan on Nov. 26 has not yet been identified. The man is believed to be in his 30s and is 5’5 in height. Gattaran PNP can be contacted at 0916-517-7702.

GATTARAN, Cagayan – The body of a man discovered floating in the Dummun River on Nov. 26 has not yet been identified.
The man is believed to be in his 30s and is 5’5 in height.
    He was sighted floating in the Dummun River here in Barangay Sta. Maria by children who were at the river on the morning of said date.
    Mark Domingo of MDRRMO Gattaran, in an interview, said they were able to retrieve the cadaver at 10 a.m. on said date, but up until now, it had not yet been claimed by his family.
    Domingo said the guy was wearing a black T-shirt and blue pants.
    MDRRMO Gattaran urged families who have missing relatives to coordinate with PNP Gattaran.
    This is also to hasten the process of identifying the dead body.

 
 

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Cessna plane missing in Isabela

By Victor Martin 

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — A Cessna plane was reported missing after taking off from the Palanan airport in Isabela Thursday.
Reports said the Cyclone aircraft with tail number RP-C1234 took off from the domestic airport in Cauayan at 9:39 a.m., but failed to arrive at the coastal town airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said on board the aircraft were the pilot, Capt. Levy Abul II, and an unidentified passenger.
Authorities tried but failed to contact the plane’s radio and mobile phones of the pilot.
Search, rescue operations and investigation are ongoing.

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4 missing Pangasinan fishermen rescued

By Gabriel Cardinoza

INFANTA, Pangasinan -- The four fishermen from this town who were earlier reported missing have been rescued by fellow fishermen in the waters off Candelaria town in Zambales province at around noon on Thursday, Nov. 16, an official of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
    Commander Alexander Corpuz, PCG Pangasinan station commander, said the four fishermen were ferried to Infanta by the Candelaria Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) and turned over to the town officials here at about 2 p.m. Thursday.
    The rescued fishermen were identified as boat skipper Edgar Bejar, 44, and Jake Bejar, 19, of Barangay Cato; Melchor Molato, 26, of Barangay Bayambang and Arnel Awanan, 46, of Barangay Batang.
    "They are all accounted for. They are healthy and they are now resting in their respective homes with their families," said Corpuz in a telephone interview.
    On Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the PCG scoured the West Philippine Sea (WPS) off the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Sur to search for the fishermen, who were reported missing on Tuesday, November 14.
    Allan Rey de la Cruz, head of this town's DRRMO, said they had requested the aerial search after receiving reports that the missing fishermen's boat was seen anchored in the waters off La Union on Wednesday night.
    The four fishermen left the shore of Cato aboard their fishing boat FB Pepito 3 on November 9 to fish at the WPS about 70 nautical miles west of this town.
    "They were expected to return to Cato on November 12 but they did not make it," said de la Cruz in a telephone interview.
    Aside from aerial search, de la Cruz said the town government here also launched a seaborne search and rescue operation using two big private fishing boats.
    The PCG had also alerted commercial fishing boats in the vicinity about the missing fishermen.
    De la Cruz said the fishermen may have encountered rough seas and strong winds spawned by the northeast monsoon on their way home on November 11.
    On that day, he added, the PCG radioed all fishing boats at sea to sail home because of the monsoon winds locally known as "nortada" or northern wind.
    "All the other boats were able to return to the shore that day, except them," de la Cruz said.
    Corpuz said that the fishermen's boat's engine may have conked out and the fishing boat drifted towards Zambales.
    This was not the first time for fishermen here to encounter a nortada.
    In December 2006, at least 70 fishermen from this town were reported missing after their boats were swept by strong winds and giant waves spawned by the nortada.
    Some of them were rescued hours later, while others managed to paddle to seek refuge at the Scarborough Shoal.
    This unpredictable weather phenomenon usually takes place in these waters between the months of November and February.

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Missing Dutch brothers rescued in Banaue forest

_{BANAUE, Ifugao -- Two foreign nationals, who have been missing, were rescued by police here at Sitio Lamagan, Barangay Cambulo afternoon of Sept. 3.
    Reports submitted to PRO Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. David Peredo Jr. identified the foreigners as Roy Schouten, 22 and his brother Rich, 19, both from the Netherlands.
    Col. Davy Limmong, Ifugao police director said Banaue police and elements of 2nd Ifugao Provincial Mobile Force Company were immediately deployed after receiving information about two foreigners who went missing Sept. 2 while trekking the mountainous area of barangays Cambulo and Pula of this tourist town.
    Police with personnel from Bureau of Fire Protection-Banaue, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and civilian volunteers, conducted search and rescue operations in the mountain.
    When the missing foreigners were found, the team treated their minor injuries and guided them back to the town proper for further treatment.
    The Dutch tourists were brought to Manila in a commercial passenger bus.
    Earlier, the emergency hotline of Banaue police received a call 5:18 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2 from a man, who introduced himself as     Schouten, saying he and his brother lost their way while headed to Pula from Cambulo.
    A resident told police the tourists had rejected a guide that they offered.
    Peredo lauded police and volunteers for the immediate response which led to rescue of the Schouten siblings.}
 

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2 fishmen missing in Ilocos Sur waters

_{By Freddie Lazaro}

_{CAMP PRESIDENT QUIRINO, Ilocos Sur – Two fishermen from Barangay Apatot, San Esteban, this province, were reported missing on Tuesday, Sept. 5, after they failed to return home from a fishing trip to the West Philippines Sea (WPS) on Sunday, Sept. 3.
    Police identified the missing fishermen as Ronie Baldeviso, 41 and Mark Anthony Egar, 27.
    The two fishermen left at about 1 a.m. on board an orange and avocado green motor banca with body No. ILS-10-78 and markings Coline Kaezy/Ron Justine.
    Police said they were expected to return home on the same day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. but failed to return as of Tuesday.
    Baldeviso was described as 5'7", fair complexion, wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt, while Egar is 5'5" with fair complexion, wearing a black shirt and a blue jacket.
    Police said other fishermen were searching for them in coordination with the Maritime Group, Philippine Coast Guard, and San Esteban municipal rescue personnel.
    Meanwhile, a fisherman, Pepito Carera, 37, a resident of Barangay Ilocanos Sur, San Fernando, La Union, was rescued by fishermen in Barangay Nangalisan, Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur on Monday, Sept. 4. 
    Carera reportedly went fishing but failed to return home when the engine of his motor banca had mechanical trouble.}

 

 

 

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Crashed plane located in Apayao; pilot, stude dead

Rescue and medical team deployed at the crash site.PTV

The missing Cessna plane that crashed in Apayao province. (File photo courtesy of OCD-Region 2)

By Alfred Dizon and Villamor Visaya Jr. 

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet  --The pilot and Indian student pilot of the missing Echo Air Cessna training plane found crashed in Apayao were found dead Wednesday afternoon, the police regional  information office said in a report.
    The two passengers on board the Missing RP-C8598 Cessna 152 plane were identified as Capt. Edzel John Lumbao Tabuzo from San Juan City and student pilot Anshum Rajkumar Konde, an Indian national.
    They were found dead by the search team at the crash site.
    The cadavers of the victims were brought to Amma Jadsac District Hospital, Poblacion, Pudtol, Apayao, while investigation is on to determine circumstances surrounding the incident.
    Apayao provincial police director Col. Jefferson Cariaga immediately deployed a search rescue and retrieval team to the area after receiving a report regarding a Cessna plane that crashed while on training flight between the municipalities of Luna and Pudtol, the Camp Dangwa report said.
    Previous reports disclosed the plane took off from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, on Tuesday, August 1, days after Typhoon Egay swept through the Cordillera.
    It was supposed to land in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
    The airplane was last detected in Alcala town, Cagayan, before losing contact.

According to Apayao Provincial Police Office, an incident command post was established at Salvacion Elementary School, while the joint search rescue team of Apayao PPO, Bureau of Fire Protection, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Marines, Apayao Disaster Risk Management Office, Luna MDRRMC, Barangay Salvacion BDRMMC, and community volunteers conducted search and rescue operations.

After more than six hours, the crash site was found in the boundary between Barangay Salvacion in Luna and San Mariano Pudtol town afternoon of August 3.

Earlier reports said the Cessna plane was reported missing in Cagayan on Tuesday. Apayao Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Joeffrey Borromeo said.

A medical and rescue team on board a Black Hawk helicopter of the Philippine Air Force reportedly spotted the plane's wreckage and the cadavers of Tabuzo and Konde. 

Citing information from Borromeo, the Cagayan provincial government said in a statement “Natagpuan rin ang dalawang sakay nito ngunit kapwa wala nang buhay.”

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the plane was reported missing on Tuesday afternoon after departing from Laoag International Airport at 12:16 p.m.

It failed to arrive at its destination, which was supposed to be at Tuguegarao Airport at 3:16 p.m.

The plane, operated by Echo Air, took off at around 12:16 p.m. from the Laoag International Airport on Tuesday and was supposed to arrive at around 3:16 p.m. at the Tuguegarao airport in Cagayan.

The CAAP earlier said it received an INCERFA message from the Tuguegarao flight service station (FSS), about the safety of an aircraft and its passengers, at around 2:37 p.m. on Tuesday.

Tuguegarao FSS searched with aviation authorities in Cauayan, Vigan and Lallo, but received no information on the location of the plane.

A missionary helicopter reportedly tried to conduct search and rescue operations, but returned due to bad weather in the area.

The Cagayan public information office said the last known position of the trainer plane at that time was reported at 32 nautical miles northwest of Alcala, Cagayan, at an altitude of 7,500 feet.

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PCG rescue boat found; 4 personnel still missing

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- The Philippine Coast Guard has recovered its aluminum boat, which was dispatched to assist a tugboat that got stranded in Cagayan during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Egay.
    The PCG’s District North Eastern Luzon reported that it found the AB 056, but the boat’s four coast guard personnel were missing.
    The AB 065 was spotted by rescue personnel of the PCG, who were on board motor vessel Eagle Ferry, on Fuga Island in Aparri.
    The boat was earlier seen drifting away from Calayan Island.
    The PCG has dispatched teams to search for and rescue its four personnel, who were reportedly last seen clinging to the AB 065 before they were swept away by the current.
    The AB 065 was dispatched on July 26 to assist the motor tugboat Iroquois and its seven crewmembers.
    The Iroquois has been found, with all its crewmembers in good condition.
 

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Apayao declared in state of calamity; folks missing

LUNA, Apayao -- Apayao was declared under a state of calamity following devastation of Super Typhoon "Egay" which made landfall here July 25 and 26.
    The storm brought about widespread destruction, causing loss of lives, infrastructural damage and displacement of communities, with damage now totaling up to P1.2 billion.
    The provincial government, in coordination with national disaster response agencies, implemented declaration of a state of calamity for allocation of resources to respond to needs of affected communities.

    Egay packed maximum sustained winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour and brought torrential rains, flash floods and landslides.
    The severity of the typhoon caught many residents off guard, leading to devastating consequences in towns and villages.
    Latest reports said some individuals were still missing.
    Search-and-rescue operations are underway in collaboration with the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire Protection and volunteer groups. Authorities were working to locate and assist those stranded or in distress.
    The typhoon's impact on infrastructure has been extensive, with power and communication lines severely damaged or completely disrupted. Major roads and bridges have also been rendered impassable due to landslides and debris.
    The provincial government coordinated with agencies to restore critical services and establish temporary shelters for those displaced by the disaster.
    In response to the situation, humanitarian aid and relief efforts from the national government are pouring into Apayao.
Relief goods, medical supplies and emergency equipment are being mobilized to help affected communities.
    But access to some remote areas remained challenging due to damage caused by the typhoon.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and pledged the full support of the national government in the recovery and rebuilding process.

    He assured affected residents that resources and assistance would be provided without delay.

Meanwhile, Gov. Elias Bulut Jr. urged residents in low-lying areas and landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant, due to risk of further flooding and landslides.

    The declaration of a state of calamity empowers the provincial government to mobilize emergency funds and resources more efficiently, which is crucial in addressing the immediate needs of the affected population.

 

 

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CA orders PNP, AFP: Present missing activists

By Daphne Galvez

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) were ordered by the Court of Appeals to present missing indigenous peoples’ rights advocates Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil de Jesus.
    In a resolution dated July 8, the 13th division of the CA said the petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by the families of De Jesus and Capuyan on Wednesday last week were ”sufficient in form and substance.”
    The families of the activists asserted that the two are likely in government custody, citing information that they received.
    The CA ordered AFP chief Lt. Gen. Andres Centino, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., Rizal police director Col. Dominic Baccay and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat “to appear before the court today and bring the bodies and persons of Capuyan and De Jesus if found in their custody.”

The two were reportedly taken by men who introduced themselves as CIDG agents in Taytay, Rizal on April 28.

Capuyan, a member of the Bontoc-Ibaloi-Kankanaey indigenous group, was tagged by security forces as a ranking member of the New People’s Army in Ilocos and the Cordilleras.

A bounty of P2.85 million has been offered for his arrest.

De Jesus is the information and networking officer of the Philippine Task Force on Indigenous Peoples Rights.

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. David Peredo said neither Capuyan nor De Jesus was in their custody.

 

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UP campuses: Surface missing activists taken by armed CIDG men

By Sherwin De Vera

BAGUIO CITY — Several University of the Philippines campuses have joined the call to surface two UP Baguio alumni who have been missing since April 28.
    In separate statements, the Baguio, Cebu, and Visayas campuses urged the government to assist in finding Dexter Capuyan, 56 and Gene Roz Jamil De Jesus, 27.    
     Human rights groups claimed armed men who presented themselves as members of the Philippines National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) forcibly took them in Taytay, Rizal.
    "Their disappearance has not only caused anxiety and distress to their loved ones but also created a chilling effect to the safety and security of our community," UP Baguio said in a May 24 statement.
    "We urge all government and concerned agencies, specifically those that have already been approached by the families of Bazoo and Dexter, to exhaust all means and resources to fully address their disappearance," the statement added.
    This is the first official pronouncement from the institution on the issue since the disappearance of its former student leaders. Capuyan was the editor-in-chief of the student publication, The Outcrop and chair of the city-wide chapter of the League of Filipino Students in the 80s. De Jesus, who graduated cum laude in 2016, formerly chaired the Alliance of Concerned Students and the UP Baguio Council of Leaders.
    The statement came a day after more than a hundred students, faculty, alumni, and supporters held a vigil inside the campus, attended by the mother of De Jesus and Capuyan's daughter.
    Speakers during the activity, including Capuyan's contemporary in the student publication and UP Baguio professor Willy Alangui, urged campus officials to support the call to surface the two alumni.
He cited the immediate condemnation by the administration of the enforced disappearance of James Balao in 2008, also a former Outcrop editor-in-chief.
    "Malaking bagay 'yong dapat suporta na pinapakita sa paghahanap sa kanilang alumni, malaking bagay sa pamilya marinig kung paano sila pumusisyon, kailangan pa natin silang kalampagin para lang mapilitang maglabas ng statement, hindi dapat," Alangui said.
    Hours before the UP Baguio statement, UP Cebu Chancellor Atty. Leo Malagar expressed "solidarity with the UP Baguio community, the families of Capuyan and De Jesus, and all who believe in human rights and freedom."     He said the disappearance of the two "unsettles as much as it reminds us of the abduction of Dyan Gumanao and Armand Jake Dayoha."
    Gumanao and Dayoha are UP Cebu alumni who were abducted by suspected state agents last January. The perpetrators eventually released them following a public outcry.
    "A troubling pattern emerges, calling for immediate and effective collective action. With urgency and optimism, we press for comprehensive investigations and active cooperation from the police and other law enforcement agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of Capuyan and De Jesus," Malagar said.
    "Enforced disappearances achieve nothing more than the erosion of the fabric of a democratic society. Silencing critics doesn't support the aims of mainstream society; it only weakens our democracy," he added.
Earlier, on May 23, the UP Visayas also called for the surfacing of the two UP Baguio alumni.
    "A society is never truly free if its activists and critics are subjected to constant harassment and must fear for their safety. For this reason, we express grave concern over the enforced disappearance of two graduates of UP Baguio," the statement said.
    "We call on our partners from all relevant agencies of government to help end this pattern of injustice and to join us in demanding for the safe return of the two activists," it added.
 

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Groups to Marcos: Surface activists abducted by CIDG

  Capuyan, De Jesus case

Various indigenous peoples advocates and human rights organizations led a demonstration at the Philippine National Police headquarters last week to demand the surfacing of missing activists Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo de Jesus.
    It has been over two weeks since Capuyan and De Jesus were abducted on April 28 in Taytay, Rizal, they said.
    Based on information gathered from search missions, groups said it was confirmed that Capuyan and De Jesus were taken by “operatives who introduced themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).” 
    “These recent abductions of rights defenders under Marcos Jr.’s administration are a spitting image of his father’s atrocities during the dark years of martial law,” said Beverly Longid, national convenor of Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, a national alliance of Indigenous Peoples’ organizations.     “Before Dexter and Bazoo’s disappearance, IP rights advocates Mary Joyce Lizada and Arnulfo Aumentado also went missing before being found in the hands of the AFP at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.”
    Various protest actions were held in the Cordillera and NCR demanding the safe surfacing of the two, but several Rizal-based law enforcement, security, and intelligence agencies have denied holding the two in custody.
    A press conference was held last May 10 at the Karapatan national office, where family members of the missing advocates expressed their concern alongside representatives from various indigenous peoples and human rights organizations.
    In Baguio City that same day, other family members alongside the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) conducted a simultaneous search mission in Camp Allen and Camp Dangwa, following the earlier search missions in Rizal.
    A complaint and a request for assistance in the search were also forwarded by the families to the Cordillera regional office of the Commission on Human Rights.
    “This cover-up has made us all the more eager to find Dexter and Bazoo. We urge Mr. Marcos and his subordinates to surface the two,” Longid added. Under the provisions of RA 10353, state security agents and government officials who are found to be perpetrators of enforced disappearances shall be held liable and punished by the law.
    Dexter, an Igorot, and Bazoo, an IP rights advocate, are both trailblazers in the promotion of indigenous peoples rights in the Cordillera.
“    As we continue our call to surface Dexter and Bazoo, we will never forget to hold the Marcos Jr. administration accountable in the activists’ disappearances,” Longid said.
 

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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

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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 

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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.

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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.

 

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'Missing' engineer found dead in room

By Vice Jacob Visaya

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- The decomposing body of a 60-year-old engineer was found inside his room at a building under construction in Caggay in this city afternoon of Jan. 6 police said.
    The body of Manuel Amonsio, 60, from Cavite, who supervises the construction of a building owned by real estate developer Donald Dy, was found inside his room, according to Lt. Rosemarie Taguiam, Tuguegarao City police information officer.
    Amonsio was earlier declared missing, three days after he did not answer calls and messages on Dec. 17 last year.
    Police ruled out foul play or robbery as his money and belongings were intact inside his room.
    The construction of the building was stalled by the pandemic and Amonsio was tasked temporarily as caretaker.
    Dy promised to cooperate with the police in the investigation of Amonsio's death.

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Man saves 6 drowning kin; missing

By Liezle Basa Inigo and Hilda Austria 

BINMALEY, Pangasinan – Authorities are still searching for a 32-year-old male who was reported missing after rescuing seven of his family members and relatives at a beach here.
    In a statement issued Tuesday, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office director, Col. Jeff Fanged, identified the missing person as Jonald Soriano, a farmer and resident of Barangay Bacnar in San Carlos City.
    “The victim was watching or looking at his relatives swimming at the beach in Binmaley town on December 26 when he noticed them being carried away by strong waves. The victim immediately swam towards them to pull them away from the strong current. His relatives were safe. However, he was carried away by the wave,” he said.
The three relatives -- Marly Cole, Dennis Cole and Kate Cole, all residents of Malacañang San Carlos City, were brought to Lingayen District Hospital.
    The other members --Jonathan Soriano, Noah Elves and Enzo Elves, both residents of Tarlac City were attended to by personnel of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Lingayen town.
    “Victim was still missing as of this time and a rescue operation is being undertaken by personnel of Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and MDRRMO to recover the body of the victim,” said Patrolman Dexter Escalona of Binmaley Police Station Tactical Operation Center, in a separate interview on Tuesday.
    Escalona said the sea waves are quite unpredictable.
    Gale warning was up on Dec. 26, discouraging the fishermen from setting sail but there was no ban on swimming on the beaches. 
    Soriano went missing while attempting to rescue six relatives from being swept away by waves in a beach here on Monday, Dec. 26, police said earlier.
    A rescue operation was undertaken by personnel of provincial and town disaster personnel.
Police said Soriano was watching his relatives swimming at around 8:30 a.m. when waves carried them away.
    He immediately dived into the sea to save them from drowning but he was also swept away by waves.

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Sagada girl missing, one saved in river

By Aldwin Quitasol

ITOGON, Benguet — Authorities of this mining town reported a 16-year-old girl is still missing while her 15-year old cousin is now safe after they were swept by strong current of the Agno River here Oct. 16 at Sitio Salapsap, Barangay Dalupirip.
    The name of the rescued girl was not known.
    Relatives of the missing girl identified her as Colleen Chance Flores, resident of Kias who  traces her roots from Sagada, Mountain Province.
    Reports from the Itogon Municipal Police Station said the two girls informed their families to go to the river to swim.
    When the cousins were swimming to cross the river, the current suddenly went strong.
    The police reported the 15-year-old girl held on to a rock in the middle of the river as rescuers were able to find her in time.
    Meantime, search and rescue by the Dalupirip Barangay Health Emergency Response Team, Barangay Health Worker, Itogon Municipal Health Services Office, Bureau of Fire Protection Itogon and the police is still ongoing for the 16-year-old girl.
    Relatives of Flores appealed to folks downriver to report to authorities her whereabouts.

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25 missing Baguio persons home, 3 out but alive: cops

BAGUIO CITY -- Local police authorities clarified most earlier reported missing persons were able to rejoin their families after having stayed for some time with their friends except for three but who are still alive.
    Lt. Col. Pablo Emmanuel Nead, Baguio police investigation and detective management unit, said  from January to June 14, there were 25 reports that reached their office on missing individuals which were immediately investigated to ascertain the circumstances that led to their being missing.
    He said investigation bared 22 individuals who were earlier reported to have gone missing were able to rejoin their families within a certain period of time.
    The police official said most of reported missing persons actually asked permission from their parents for them to go somewhere to meet with their friends but were not able to go home at night because they slept over in residences of their friends that prompted their parents to report the matter to the police.
    Nead said individuals are considered missing only after 48 hours that they could not be located to allow police to assess the situation in e coordination with their family members and relatives who are aware of the circumstances of their being missing.
    He added there were only three reported missing individuals subjected to usual investigation and follow-up by investigators.
    Among the reported missing individuals included a 20-year-old female from Bakakeng Norte, 1n 18-year Korean national from Baguio City and a 39-year-old male from Taguig City who had gone missing after coming up to the city.
    Nead said the three missing persons were still alive based on proof of life after investigation.
    According to him, the police was in close coordination with the family members of the reported missing persons.
    He advised youngsters to make it a habit to inform their family members and relatives of their whereabouts and if they will not be going home at night as they will be sleeping over with their friends to avoid them from being reported as having gone missing.
    Nead said one reason for individuals being reported to be missing was because they stowed away because of minor problems in their families.
    Nead added local police force were always ready to extend assistance to individuals seeking help to locate members of their families who have gone missing.

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