The fishing boat of missing Aeta leader Ernesto Coching collided with a speedboat owned by Shangri-la and Spa Resort-Boracay, according to a Malay Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office report.
BORACAY, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard-Caticlan on Friday, April 7, launched search and retrieval operations for a community chieftain believed to have drowned after his fishing boat collided with a speed boat days earlier in waters between Caticlan and Boracay Island.
The Malay Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said in a report that the incident happened between Caticlan and Cagban Port at 9:20 pm on Wednesday, April 5. The MDRRMO identified the missing person as Ernesto Coching, a 60-year-old resident of Barangay Cubay Sur, Malay. He is the leader of the Aeta community in Cubay.According to the MDRRMO, the speedboat that figured in the collision is Diwata 4, owned by the Shangri-la and Spa Resort-Boracay.
“Based on the investigation we conducted, the speedboat seems to be busy because of the surge of tourists. They did not notice the fishing boat due to the fishing boat’s apparent poor lighting condition. We had immediately responded and were able to rescue the survivor together with the MDRRMO,” PCG-Caticlan chief Lieutenant Senior Grade Valernie Daitao told Rappler in an interview on Friday.