Celso orders extensive hunt for missing fisherfolks
Mayor Celso Lobregat has instructed police and military authorities to exert all efforts to locate three fishermen from Mampang who were reported missing since Monday.
Lobregat has been closely coordinating with the authorities since the time he was informed of the incident Tuesday night. Yesterday he met with the families of the 3 fishermen together with City Police OIC director Col. Jumli Sappal, the police station commander of Sacol and the police intelligence division officials at City Hall to discuss explore other possibilities in connection with the trio’s disappearance at sea.
The three missing fishermen were identified as Edgar Barrera, 26; Jesus Alonzo, 30 and July Gapol, 22. The three are all residents of Mampang who went on fishing in Barangay Busay Monday morning. They have never returned since then.
Lobregat said authorities led by the Sacol Police Station Commander Akiba scoured Busay and the neighboring areas but got no information about the three. “Nobody claimed to have seen the fisherfolk”.
Today, the mayor said, a team of police authorities led by Col. Sappal together with elements from the Task Force Zamboanga will proceed to Landang Laum and other areas nearby areas to locate the three Mampang residents.
The mayor has also been in close contact with Mampang barangay chairman Jesus Dulaca as well as Busay chairman Ahmad Yusop.
City Social Welfare Officer Francisco Barredo, upon instructions of Mayor Lobregat has immediately provided food assistance to the families of the missing fishermen.
Mayor Lobregat has asked the barangay chairmen concerned to also mobilize their resources to help find the missing persons. (Sheila Covarrubias)