RESCUED. The rescued passengers from MBCA Mama Mary Chloe (MMC) are given first aid and taken care of by the municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia town in Bohol on Sunday. On Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard found the missing passenger of the MMC after it caught fire and sank off Bohol waters on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of PCG)
MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday found the missing passenger of a motor banca that caught fire and sank in waters off Bohol on Sunday.
The PCG said the passenger, Andy Toniacao, 32, from Hilongos, Leyte, was rescued and dropped off at the Port of Hilongos on Sunday but was reported missing when he left without being accounted for.
“Kasama siya sa na-rescue at inihatid sa Port of Hilongos, pero umalis siya agad sa area dahil sa trauma, kaya na-note siya as missing (He was included in those rescued and was brought to the Port of Hilongos, but he immediately left the area due to trauma, that’s why he was noted as missing),” the PCG said.
Out of the 165 passengers and crew of the Mama Mary Chloe, 164 have been rescued while one person -- Adolfo Ranola, 53, from Trinidad, Bohol -- died in the incident.
To date, it said 134 of the 164 survivors have been brought home, while the rest are in the care of the local government unit of the town of President Carlos P. Garcia.
In an interview, PCG spokesperson Commodore Armando Balilo said the boat’s captain and crew would be interviewed to shed light on the possible cause of the fire.
“This is very unfortunate but we can assure you that we are doing everything para hindi po maulit ito at patitingnan natin kasama ng MARINA [Maritime Industry Authority] 'yung seaworthiness ng ating mga sasakyang pandagat (so that this won’t happen again, and in partnership with MARINA, we will look into the seaworthiness of our maritime vessels),” Balilo said. (PNA)
