5 more fishermen rescued in Ilocos

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — Navy and Coast Guard frogmen rescued yesterday five more fishermen but found the bodies of two others in the South China Sea off La Union.

One of the fatalities was identified as Alejandrino Ramos of Bangar, La Union. The other has yet to be named.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo ordered yesterday the Navy and Coast Guard to continue scouring the waters off La Union to try to save the 60 fishermen who have remained missing.

"I assure the families of the missing fishermen that the search and rescue teams of the Navy and Coast Guard will not stop scouring the seas until all the victims are accounted for," she said in a statement from Malacañang.

Mrs. Arroyo said she has instructed the Coast Guard and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to institute preventive and precautionary measures to avoid similar incidents.

"And I have directed the PAGASA and the Coast Guard to see to it that early warning measures for our fisher folk are in place so that they are not victimized by several climatic shifts," she said.

Five fishermen have already died in Friday’s sea tragedy when their boats were capsized by strong winds at the Lingayen Gulf.

Patrol ships and helicopters continued to comb the coasts of La Union, Pangasinan and the Lingayen Gulf in search for survivors.

Army and Navy officials said that they are still looking for about 20 missing fishermen.

Lt. Col. Preme Monta, Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) spokesman, said Navy and Coast Guard frogmen have rescued nine fishermen.

Some 72 hours after the sea tragedy, rescuers are still searching for more than three dozen fishermen, authorities said.

La Union police commander Senior Superintendent Samuel Diciano said they need more planes and boats to search the coastal towns of western Pangasinan.

"We need more aerial assets," he said. "Malayo ang tinatakbo ng mga rescuers kaya dapat mas marami ang assets, especially sea craft."

Diciano said they hope to find other surviving fishermen, who might be clinging on to what is left of their boats until rescuers arrive.

The two helicopters and one Coast Guard Islander they are using are not enough because they are racing against time, he added.

Monta said the Nolcom has sent to the scene four rubber boats, a patrol craft, a patrol ship and an Islander.

Two helicopters from the Air Force and Tactical Operations Group 3 at Camp Aquino in Tarlac also joined the operations, he added.

Five fishermen from La Union were rescued around 6 a.m. Sunday by other fishermen, while a sixth one died at sea.

Senior Police Officer 1 Alex Osana, Sual police chief investigator, identified those rescued as Froilan Garibay, 44, and Johnny Aguilar, 37, both of Barangay Santiago Sur, Caba, La Union; Merito Sobrepeña, 42, Gerardo Alcantara, 58, and Eligio Fontanilla, 62 , all of Barangay San Carlos, Caba, La Union.

The dead was Lito Garibay, 60, of Barangay Santiago Sur, Caba, La Union, he added.

Most of those rescued were found floating in the South China Sea for days without drinking water and food.

Most of those brought to the hospital suffered from hypothermia, or severe loss of body temperature, and were extremely exhausted from their ordeal.

Monta said several groups of fishermen aboard 101 small fishing vessels set sail from Bangar and Currimao in La Union on calm waters late Friday, but they later encountered rough weather.

Eighty-nine of the fishing boats remain missing, along with 29 of their crew, he added.

The survivors were initially identified as Pepito Cabo of Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, and Numel Baes of Bangar, La Union, who were fished out of the South China Sea shortly after the tragedy Saturday.

Last Sunday, Benito Sobrepeña, Gerardo Alcantara, Emerson Fontanilla, Aurelio Marzo, Ernesto Ramos, Wilson Ladin and Freddie Murao, all of Caba, Luna and Bangar towns in La Union, were rescued:

Marvin Urmita, one of the survivors, said that he and his companions swam for about 10 hours until they reached shore.

Another survivor, Johnny Garibay, said he towed the body of his 60-year-old relative, Lito Garibay, who died during their ordeal.

"We tied him up... with his and my clothes," he said,

About 100 rescuers and medical personnel on several boats, two small planes and four helicopters resumed search and rescue operations yesterday. — Artemio Dumlao, Eva Visperas, Jose Aravilla, Benjie Villa, Marichu Villanueva, AP, AFP