Navy reservist in CebuPac mishap gets commendation medal

MANILA, Philippines - The Navy reservist who helped ensure the safety of the passengers of the Cebu Pacific plane that figured in a recent mishap was feted Friday for his heroic act.

A military commendation medal was awarded to Marlon Bo, a Navy reservist with the rank of Ensign, for calming the plane passengers amid the confusion and panic caused by the accident.

Navy Reserve Command chief Capt. Primitivo Gopo awarded the medal to Bo in a ceremony held at his unit’s headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

“The able leadership and actions of Ens. Bo are worthy of emulation and have earned the admiration of the Filipino people,” said Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic.

“Though these achievements, Ens. Bo earned distinct credits not only for himself and the Philippine Navy but also for the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he added.

More than 3,000 passengers were stranded at the Davao City International Airport last June 3 after a Cebu Pacific passenger jet overshot the runway while landing.

The airport was shut down temporarily after Cebu Pacific flight 5J-971 figured in the mishap at about 7:05 p.m. The crew members and the 165 passengers were not hurt during the incident.

After the plane overshot the runway, smoke filled the aircraft, causing the passengers to worry about their safety.

Bo, who graduated from the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in 2003, used his skills and gave instructions to the terrified passengers, leading them to their safety.

In a recent interview, Bo recounted how he helped organize the disembarking of passengers to avoid compromising their safety.  

“When they are calm, that’s the moment I was able to give them further crisis instructions,” the Navy reservist said.

“Everybody was rushing towards the exit. I tried to give instruction to the two stewards that we should first unload the children the babies and the elderly,” he added.

Because of Bo’s heroism, all the passengers were able to disembark from the plane unharmed.

“[Bo] was able to maintain his composure in spite of the commotion happening inside the plane wherein many passengers were shaken and wanted to disembark immediately,” Fabic said.

“Bo took the initiative and managed to avert stampede and prevent them from further hurting themselves,” he added.