Fishing boat from East Visayas capsizes off Dapa in Siargao Island; 11 crew safe

Eleven crew members of a fishing boat from Eastern Visayas were rescued on January 17, from the waters near the vicinity of Dapa Island off Surigao, after their boat capsized due to inclement weather.

Mr. Leo Lacaba, the Disaster Coordinator of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council of Guiuan informed the Philippine Information Agency to contact a fish dealer in Tacloban City who was the one contacted by the crew members of the ill-fated fishing boat.

When contacted by PIA, the fish dealer, Mr. Marion Rodrigo said that he was contacted via his cellphone by one of the rescuers of the crewmembers informing him that the 11 survivors were safe and were being taken cared of by the local fishermen at the municipality of Dapa, Surigao del Norte in Siargao Island, about three hours by motorboat to Surigao City.

He said that one of the survivors remembered his cellphone number because he usually buys the fishing boat's catch. The fishing boat does not have a name printed on its hull but he said that it is known by the call sign “Cebu Pacific.”

Mr. Rodrigo intimated that he sent money via LBC in the morning of January 18, as requested, for the transportation of the survivors from Surigao City to Tacloban.

At about 11:00 o'clock in the morning of January 19, the 11 survivors left Dapa Island for Surigao City. They were expected to arrive in Surigao City at about 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon. From there, the survivors will proceed to Tacloban.

The fishing boat which is owned by a couple who are residents of Suluan Island, in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, left Tacloban City for a fishing expedition on January 4, Mr. Rodrigo said.

Mr. Rodrigo believes that the fishing boat is on its way back to Tacloban when it capsized off Surigao due to bad weather. (PIA)

NPA warns politicians about ‘illegal’ campaign funds

MINDANAO - Politicians deriving their campaign funds from illegal activities will be the target of "tactical offensives" by the New People’s Army, a rebel spokesperson said.

Jorge Madlos of the National Democratic Front in Mindanao did not say specify the nature of the "tactical offensives," only that they will be applied against politicians “whose source of funds is illegal drugs, illegal logging and illegal mining.”

He did not say how the NPA will determine which politicians are engaged in illegal activities.

Speaking to reporters on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Madlos said the party was so serious about its campaign against illegal activities that even his brother, who is running for an elective post in Siargao, “would not be spared from retribution if he too will be caught getting... funds derived from illicit trade.”

He said the communist movement has heightened its campaign against illegal logging and illegal mining to help address environmental degradation, especially in many areas of Mindanao.

“Global warming is going to be worse in 10 years. We have to act to put a stop to illegal logging,” he said.

Madlos said the NPA’s anti-drugs campaign was also intensified.

He said last year, they raided a police station on Siargao Island because authorities were not doing anything against drugs there.

Madlos said the NPA will also “fight all private armies this election.”

He said atroocities such as the Maguindanao massacre in which at least 57 people, mostly journalists, were slaughtered in the municipality of Ampatuan in Maguindanao last Nov. 23.

The killings were triggered by the political rivalry between the family of the Ampatuan and Mangudadatu families.

Meanwhile, Madlos claimed many politicians have started seeing him to ask for “permit to campaign” in rebel-influenced areas. He did not identify any of the politicians. (Inquirer)

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Siargao is composed of 48 islands and islets-politically divided into nine municipalities: Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, Gen. luna, Pilar, San Benito, San Isidro, Santa Monica, and Socorro. Read more...

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