Man drowns in Bantayan

CEBU, Philippines - A man who was supposed to spend his Holy Week in Bantayan Island was found floating lifeless in the seawaters off Barangay Sillon yesterday morning.

The victim, Mamerto Amahan, 62 and a paralytic, was found by his wife, Veronica Amahan, 51, already dead and floating in a prone position about 9:00 in the morning.

PO2 Vicente Chavez, Bantayan police investigator, said that around 7:00 in the morning, the couple was swimming with their relatives in the beach behind the house where they were staying.

The couple is from Barangay Luz, Cebu City. It was Veronica who is a native of Bantayan.

Chavez said at around 8:00 in the morning, the group decided to get out of the water and have lunch but Mamerto was already out of sight.

Chavez said Veronica failed to notice that her husband went back to the water.

“Mura man kuno ug ganahan sa dagat pero wa sila kabantay nga wa na diay diha. (He seemed to enjoy the beach but they did not notice that he was already gone.)”, Chavez said.

Veronica started looking for Mamerto but found him already floating.

His remains were taken to the St. Peter Funeral Homes in Bantayan but is expected to be transported to Cebu City today. — (FREEMAN)