20 fishers survive collision at sea

CEBU, Philippines – Twenty fishermen were rescued after their boat was hit and sunk by a cargo vessel in the waters off Compostela midnight yesterday.

Coastguard District Station chief of staff Capt. Anelito Gabisan said the victims were tying ropes on a fish attractor cage locally known as payaw when the cargo vessel hit their which weighed about 11.5 gross tons.

Lyn Khe, Gabisan's secretary, identified the rescued victims the boat's captain Anecito Beduty, 53; engineer Arnie Aroma, 32; and their crew Joseph Balero, 29; Junrey Morillo, 26; Lucio Seballos, 53; Edgardo Lomoc, 51; Dante Batiquin, 36; Edgardo Lomoc, Jr., 20; Ranulfo Matiga, 50; Rodelio Villamonte, 38; and Anatalio Barriga, 43; Joselito Arias, 43; Ricardo Barriga, 38; Jake Formentera, 29; Noel Aroma, 45; Edwin Beduya, 30; JR Formentera, 53; Alfredo Albios, 58; Renel Albios, 34; and Lorenzo Montalban, 58.

Gabisan withheld the name of the cargo vessel as they are still verifying its name in their investigation, but he said the vessel was then carrying 25,000 sacks of cement from Naga bound for Semirara Island in San Jose, Buenavista in Region 6.

The vessel reportedly did not stop to help the crew.

In a report over GMA News.tv., the cargo vessel was identified as M/V Andrea Princess.

Gabisan said they learned of the incident after the boat's operator, Ely Daño, a resident of Looc, Danao City, called their office past noon yesterday and told them his boat carrying the fishermen sank.

The PCG immediately sent rescue vessels for the victims who all survived after clinging to debris from the sunken boat. - Niña G. Sumacot and Edwin Ian Melecio of Banat News (FREEMAN)