Week since fishing off Siaton seas: American, five Filipinos still missing

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — It’s been almost a week since they set sail from Siaton town in Negros Oriental, purportedly to go on a tuna fishing expedition, but until now there is still no sign of the six missing people, an American man and five Filipinos, including his girlfriend.

The Coast Guard in Dumaguete said that, as of Thursday evening, the motorboat that carried the six have not been found, despite sea and air operations in southern Negros as well as parts of Mindanao and even Palawan.

The missing persons were identified as Bradley Jay Fugate, 44, a U.S. citizen from California and temporarily residing in Camanjac village of this city, his girlfriend, 19-year-old Cristina Tamondoc Andig, her brother, Roseldo Andig, Jovie Fundador, Rey Tamondoc Benetes and Elmer Aniñon Sabroso, the pump boat operator.

Except for Benetes, of Bais City in Negros Oriental, the other four Filipinos are from Siaton, a police report said.

Police earlier said the six sailed off last February 13 to go tuna fishing somewhere between the seas of southern Negros Oriental and Mindanao. They however failed to return that day, prompting Bonifacio Sabroso and Teresita Andig to seek for police assistance.

Bonifacio is the father of Elmer who owns the 28-foot-long and three-feet-wide pumpboat, painted white and blue, which was rented for that fishing trip.

The PCG-Dumaguete has already alerted other stations in Mindanao and as far as Cagayancillo in Palawan to be on the lookout for the missing pumpboat and its passengers.

Last February 17, the PCG deployed to Dumaguete its Islander aircraft to join in the search for the missing boat but its aerial survey turned out negative with no signs of the vessel.

The older Sabroso told a local television crew that his motorboat had a new engine with its tank full of fuel. The PCG however the pumpboat may be “overloaded” considering its size, which ideally could not accommodate six people.

It was also reported, though not confirmed, that the passengers did not have life jackets with them when they sailed last Friday morning.

Meanwhile, sport fishing individuals in Negros Oriental have alerted their angler-friends in Dipolog City to keep an eye for the small boat that could have drifted towards that direction. (FREEMAN)