The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday that they are continuing their search for a Filipino ship crew member who was believed to have fallen into the waters of Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental.
The PCG identified the crew member as Dominador Calot Fuentes III. He has been missing from his ship, called the MV Grande Progreso, since 6pm of Jan. 15.
The PCG went on board the MV Grande Progreso for an initial investigation on January 18 but did not find him. RMN said that K-9 dogs were even brought on board the ship to search for Fuentes.
ENS Jherich Ybañez, spokesperson of PCG’s Normin District told ABS-CBN News that other crew members searched for Fuentes in different areas of the ship.
He said in a mix of English and Filipino: “They searched the entire vessel top to bottom, left to right, everywhere but they couldn’t find him. They thought maybe he fell off from the ship.”
They PCG also searched the waters of Laguindingan but he was not found either.
They said that they have already informed vessels and fisherfolk in the area to keep an eye out for Fuentes.
The Japanese-owned ship was on its way to Brazil.
According to RMN, the ship’s captain Benedict Goecolango called Fuente’s wife on that same day to inform her that her husband has vanished.
Fuentes’ family said that hours before he disappeared, he told them that he was promoted to chief mate.
His mother Nelly Fuentes told ABS-CBN News: “We want to know what happened because he was just promoted and then he suddenly vanished? That’s what I’m wondering about. Why he went missing when he should have come back home to the Philippines.”
