Has he escaped? Last miner has 2 arrest warrants

MANILA, Philippines – Local miners have taken over the search and “rescue” of the last of their fellow workers believed still trapped in a tunnel in Itogon, Benguet after Navy divers ended search operations yesterday.

But police said it would be a “victory” for miner Joseph Anayasan, 29, if he managed to escape.

Anayasan, the last of 16 miners trapped in the tunnel, has two arrest warrants for armed robbery issued in May 2002 by the Baguio City Regional Trial Court’s Branch 6 and “had actually dreamt of disappearing,” authorities said.

Lt. Victor Ramos, Navy SEAL team commander, said while search operations ended, it did not necessarily mean that Anayasan was dead.

George Baywong of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered the

termination of rescue operations due to strong currents in the tunnel.

Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin said rescuers are wondering whether Anayasan had made the dark and stinking level 700 tunnel, where six of his colleagues had died, his “temporary hell” and hiding place.

Paeng Valencia, chief of the private rescue group 911, said Anayasan might have “sneaked out as one of the rescuers during those weary day and night search operations.”

But a local miner said Anayasan could not possibly run that fast.

“Like his colleagues trapped for more than a week without food, little drinking water and the hell of the tunnel down there, that would not be possible,” he said.

Anayasan’s brother Mario told journalists that he was with his brother at shaft 114 when the mine tunnel collapsed.

He said he did not know where Joseph was after they nearly drowned, although he believed “he is still alive down there.”

“Joseph might just be enduring the stench, absolute darkness and famine because he really is avoiding attention,” he said.

Ramos said the navy rescue team, composed of 25 divers and three volunteers, are now undergoing medical checkup at the Baguio City General Hospital to ensure that they have not contracted any disease after being exposed to a contaminated environment.

They are set to return to the Naval Forces North headquarters in Poro Point, La Union and at Sangley Point in Cavite.

Earlier, the divers recovered the bodies of Vincent and Jojo Himmayod.

As days went by, the navy divers, exhausted and soaked in a mixture of water, mud, and grease from decomposing bodies, pressed on with their search and rescued Jose Panio Jr., Antonio Ngitit Pagulayan, Gerry Monyubda, Jeyson Himmayod, Robert Mabuway, Gary Gano, Gilbert Natem, Mario Anayasan, and Rudy Buling.

Ramos said that while his men were exhausted from the tedious search and rescue operations, the recovery of the survivors had been a relief, knowing that the miners would be reunited with their families.

“Our troops are okay, although they are very tired, but that is our mission and we have to do it at all cost,” he said. – WIth James Mananghaya, Andy Zapata Jr.