3 drown over the weekend

CEBU, Philippines - Three people, including a nine-year-old boy, drowned in separate incidents in the province over the weekend.

John Mark Rabago, 9, was found dead floating in the river at the boundary of Barangay Sto. Niño, Toledo City and Barangay Arpili, Balamban last Saturday morning.

Rabago,  a resident of Barangay Sto. Niño, went with his friends to the river to catch fish last Friday afternoon. The boy did not go home on that day prompting the parents to search for him in the river.

The boy was believed to have drowned but the family wants an autopsy of the body to determine the cause of his death.

In another incident, Achilles Paga, 24, was also found dead floating in the seawaters of Barangay Kulasi, Samboan at 10 a.m. last Saturday.

Pega, resident of Barangay San Sebastian, was reportedly with his cousins and friends at the shore for a picnic when the latter swam into the deep portion of the water.

His companions did not notice him swimming. Pega’s body was only found floating prompting his companions to bring him to Malabuyoc District Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Witnesses said the victim was noticeably drunk when he dips into the waters. Another man believed to be drunk was also found floating in Barangay Dunggoan, Danao City at 4:00 p.m. last Saturday.

Porferio Matugas, 63, was found dead two hours after he went swimming into the sea. The police believed that Matugas drowned because of drunkenness.— (FREEMAN)