By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Western Visayas has wrapped up their search and retrieval operations on the F/V St. Peter the Fisherman II, which sank off the coast of Carles, Iloilo last week.

Coast Guard District Western Visayas (CGDWV) Chief of Staff, Commander Jansen Benjamin, said they have located the remains of Julian Dungog inside the sunken vessel.

However, as the remains were trapped inside the inner compartment and covered with debris, they were unable to remove Dungog’s remains as it was too dangerous for them to access the compartment.

Benjamin noted Dungog’s remains were already in an advanced state of decomposition, and it has been decided that the remains will be removed instead when the owner of the fishing vessel, Tristar Fishing Corporation, conducts a salvage operation of the wreck.

As for the last missing crewman identified as Third Engineer Manuel Auditor, they have received information from survivors that he was last spotted in the upper deck texting on his mobile phone.

It was believed that Auditor’s remains may have been tangled in the ship’s fishing nets, however, when PCG divers conducted a thorough search they were unable to locate his remains.

It is now believed that Auditor may have been swept away by the waves when the vessel capsized.

With the operation now terminated, CGDWV commander, Commodore Hostillo Arturo Cornelio, said the PCG will continue monitoring the area.

All vessels in the area near where the fishing vessel sank have also been informed to be on the lookout for a floating cadaver so that measures can be taken for their proper disposition.

Earlier, the bodies of the other missing crew members identified as Norberto Parlotzo, Rommel Engle, Victor Calvo, Julit Salvo, Herminio Ronamo, Renante Forsuelo, and the ship’s captain Frankie Chavez have been successfully recovered from the wrecked fishing vessel.

The F/V St. Peter the Fisherman II capsized early morning of September 24 after they were battered by strong waves and winds while fishing off the coast of Carles, Iloilo and Tanguigui island, Cebu.

Twenty two of the vessel’s crew managed to survive, while the PCG in Negros Occidental was only informed of the sinking in the afternoon.

The PCG is now conducting an investigation to the sinking./DGB, WDJ