5 drown in Camarines Sur family outing

5 others die while swimming in Batangas, Quezon

MANILA, Philippines - Five people drowned, one was rescued while another remained missing during a family outing in San Jose, Camarines Sur yesterday.

Rhea Pino, 18; Rafael Pino, 18; Rizza Hermosa, 17; Jhona Hermosa, 17, and one-year-old Regine Pino were pronounced dead on arrival in a hospital. Responders rescued a 12-year-old girl.

Search and rescue operations were ongoing for a 16-year-old girl who remains missing.

The victims, said to be cousins, were swimming on a beach in Barangay Dolo when they encountered big waves, Bicol police spokesperson Col. Maria Luisa Calubaquib said in a report.

In Batangas, four persons drowned in separate incidents on Friday.

Calixto Serrano, 35, drowned while swimming in Taal Lake in Barangay Poblacion East in Alitagtag at around 12:44 p.m.

In Tuy town, Bobong Rivera was found floating in a river in Barangay Malibu at around 12:05 a.m.

A certain Khailyn drowned in a swimming pool at a resort in Barangay Calubcub I in San Juan. The victim and her relatives were attending a summer camp retreat when the accident occurred.

Also in San Juan, a  certain Lucas was found lifeless in a swimming pool in Barangay Laiya Aplaya at around 8:56 p.m.

An autopsy was requested to determine the circumstances that caused Lucas’ death.

In Quezon, Charlie Licat drowned on a beach in Barangay Talao-Talao in Lucena City at around 6 a.m.

The companions of the victim told police he was last seen during a drinking session on Thursday night.

Body of missing Aeta chieftain recovered

In Iloilo, rescuers recovered the body of Aeta chieftain Ernesto Coching who drowned after he was thrown off his fishing boat when it was hit by a speedboat.

The body of  Coching, 64, of the Malaynon Ati Tribe Association was fished out in the waters off Sitio Airport in Caticlan, Malay at around 11 a.m. on Friday.

Coching and his son-in-law Ricky Valencia, 37, were fishing when they were hit by a speedboat owned by the Shangri-La Boracay Resort and Spa.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Aklan police chief Col. Crisaleo Tolentino joined in search and rescue operations on Friday.

The speedboat was carrying three crewmembers and two guests on their way to a resort in Barangay Yapak in Boracay when the accident occurred on Wednesday.

Valencia was rescued and brought to the Malay Municipal Hospital for treatment. He said the skipper of the speedboat Mansueto Tana did not attempt to rescue them.

Tana was arrested for reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property and physical injuries as well as violation of Article 275 of the Revised Penal Code or abandonment of person in danger and abandonment of one’s own victim.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it recovered the body of drowning victim Carlito Badil, 36, a resident of Bislig City in  Surigao del Sur, off Barangay Lipit in Dipaculao, Aurora.

A companion of the victim, Japet Subang, 28,  made it to the shoreline and survived.

In a Viber message to reporters, the PCG said Badil and Subang were swimming when they encountered big waves.

The PCG said its personnel rescued Benjie Malaga, 19, from drowning off Barangay Bagu in Abulug, Cagayan.

The PCG reminded residents and tourists to take extra precautions while swimming. –  Robertzon Ramirez, Jennifer Rendon