By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

An Indonesian fisherman reportedly stumbled across remains suspected to be that of the Bago City seaman who went missing in January after he disappeared off the coast of Sumatra.
In a Bombo Radyo-Bacolod interview, members of the Indonesia Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (INAFIS) informed the family of Michael John Abibiason of Barangay Taloc, Bago City of the find.
According to INAFIS, a fisherman from Kolosoha, Indonesia discovered a wetsuit with the inscription Shibumi Valletta, the name of the freighter Abibiason worked on. Several bones were also found inside the wetsuit, wherein the agency is looking to coordinate with the family to perform a DNA test to see if there is a match.
Following his disappearance, the ship crew conducted a rescue operation, and other vessels in the immediate vicinity provided assistance but the victim could not be found.
The ship continued on its journey back to Singapore, while rescue boats from Indonesia were dispatched.
The victim’s father Eric, meanwhile, approached the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) for assistance after receiving word his son was missing.
While it is still unclear what exactly happened, ship officers believe Abibiason may have committed suicide after being reprimanded by the chief engineer./WDJ