Woman missing after jumping off ship

CEBU, Philippines - A woman was still missing as of last night after reportedly jumping off a ship bound for Cebu City from Surigao City yesterday dawn.

Maria Grethel Enad, 39, of Barangay Kambaro, Mandaue City, was reported missing by crew members of the M/V Pilipinas Maasin of Cokaliong Shipping Lines based in Cebu City.

Ship captain Henry Jomo told TV5 that Enad jumped off somewhere in the vicinity of Camotes Island around 5 a.m.

The victim, who was traveling alone, was described by crew members as seemingly troubled since she boarded the ship.

A passenger, who wished anonymity, claimed that before Enad went missing, she was seen talking to herself.

There was also an instance when passengers saw the victim trying to choke herself at around 3 a.m. before reportedly jumping off the vessel. 

Cokaliong Port Captain Aldrin Amatong told The FREEMAN that crew members noticed the uneasy Enad at around 11 p.m.

As a precautionary measure, Amatong said ship security personnel Armando Manto guarded the victim until she fell asleep a few minutes later. Manto later left Enad and conducted his usual security check around the ship.

However, when Manto returned, the victim was gone. Apart from Enad, the ship’s passenger manifest listed 291 other passengers. 

Jomo was informed of what happened and he immediately ordered a ship-wide search for Enad, to no avail.

Enad is a member of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association cult of former Dinagat Island congressman Ruben Ecleo Jr., said Olibo, the husband of the victim.

Olibo alleged that his wife was bewitched which caused her to suddenly change. Rosita Palomar, the mother of the victim, broke into tears upon learning what happened to her daughter.

She said her daughter purposely traveled to Surigao City and later to San Jose in Dinagat Island in the hope of being healed. The victim left three children aged seven, four and two years old.

The ship captain submitted their marine protest and incident report to the Philippine Coast Guard yesterday morning. The PCG is set to conduct a formal investigation into the incident. 

— (FREEMAN)