By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

At least 27 people drowned to their deaths after three passenger boats capsized in the Iloilo Strait over the weekend.
Based on information provided by the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), around 12:00 noon on Saturday, M/B Chi-chi, with 47 passengers and crew aboard, along with M/B Keziah, which was manned only by its crew, left Iloilo City’s Parola Wharf bound for Jordan, Guimaras. Around 10 minutes into the journey, the boats encountered a combination of heavy rains, strong winds, and strong waves and resulted in both vessels capsizing.
CDRRMO, PCG, and other rescue groups from Guimaras immediately commenced rescue operations.
Meanwhile, as rescue operations were ongoing, another vessel, the M/B Jenny Vince, which originated from Iloilo City bound for Buenavista, Guimaras, also capsized with 39 passengers and crew aboard.
Around 35 survivors were fished out by rescue boats from the M/B Chi-chi, while 20 survivors were accounted for from the sunken M/B Jenny Vince. In addition, the three-man crew of the M/B Keziah were also all accounted for.
Six people remain missing as of 4:15 p.m. yesterday.
Rescue operations were conducted throughout the evening for more missing passengers, with 11 bodies recovered inside the capsized hull of the M/B Jenny Vince, which had drifted off the coast of Dumangas, Iloilo yesterday morning. The body of a minor was also recovered along the town’s local beach with his life jacket bearing the name M/B Jenny Vince still attached.
Survivors were immediately housed at various locations, including the Iloilo City Diamond Jubilee Hall and the City Mall at the Parola Wharf. The injured, meanwhile, were rushed to various hospitals in Iloilo and Guimaras.
The Philippine Air Force has also dispatched a helicopter to search for the remaining missing passengers.
Following the incident, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas ordered a suspension of motor banca operations between Iloilo City and Guimaras.
With hundreds of passengers were stuck overnight in Iloilo City, a special trip, provided by a Roll-on/Roll-off ferry, was made yesterday for the stranded.
An investigation is now being carried out by authorities, while the PCG in Iloilo is under fire from the local government for allowing boats to operate along the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait despite the poor weather conditions./DGB, WDJ