By Jennifer P. Rendon
A police officer remains missing after their boat sank morning of May 8, 2020 in the waters of Sibolo and Liwagao Islands in Caluya, Antique.
Police Colonel Roy Parena, Antique police chief, temporarily withheld the name of the missing cop as search and rescue operations are still going on.
But four other persons – two members of the Caluya Police Station and Philippine Coast Guard-Caluya Station personnel, survived.
The survivors are Police Staff Sergeant Albert Francisco, Patrolman Allan Sabano, Petty Officer 3rd Class Kim Dayalo, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jerald Ligan.
The five were on board a fiberglass PCG boat that escorted Mayor Rigil Lim who was on a pump boat that will deliver relief goods to the town’s coastal villages.
The original plan was for the Caluya police officers to accompany the mayor in a motorbanca.
But a last-minute glitch prompted the mayor to change boats and the police officers went with the Coast Guard team.
More police officers were supposed to join the Coast Guard team but they were left behind because of the boat’s limited capacity.
Parena said the weather was good when the group left Culasi Port.
But since the area is considered “open sea,” sudden turbulence is a common event in the area.
“As of now, we couldn’t get the whole picture of what happened because the survivors are still in trauma,” Parena said.
But from what he gathered, after the boat was battered by strong waves, the four PNP and Coast Guard managed to jump off.
One of the PCG personnel still had his mobile phone, which he wrapped in a plastic bag.
He called PCG-Caluya Station, which made a distress call to other boats in the area.
A nearby fishing vessel rescued the four.
A team led of Police Major Frankie Gatila, Caluya police chief, conducted rescue operations upon learning of the incident.
Parena said the area where the incident happened is about 150 meters deep.
PCG divers opted not to dive due to the depth.
Antique Rep. Loren Legarde also sent a helicopter to help in the aerial search.
