Coast guard terminates search for missing Polillo vice mayor

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) terminated on Monday, June 27, its operations to search for the body of Polillo, Quezon, Vice Mayor Ramil Fajardo, who went missing a week ago.

Citing bad weather, PCG’s Northern Quezon Station chief Lieutenant Commander Eugenio Federico said the search mission had to be called off for now. He also said they would await new leads before resuming the search.

“There was a request to stop it because it has been a week since [Romeo] Malagueno was rescued,” Federico said.

Malagueno, a close aide of the vice mayor, was his only companion when their outrigger motorboat capsized in the seas off Bucao in Polillo Islands. 

Malagueno told the PCG that they were about to return to Polillo from a barangay visit in Budeos town when their boat was hit by waves and strong winds. Malagueno said that he tried to save Fajardo, who didn’t know how to swim, but Fajardo was carried away by the strong waves.

PCG rescuers had searched for Fajardo up to about 15 nautical miles, from Agta Point to Barangay Anawa, and in the waters off Real. 

“Our troops scoured the area where the boat sank. They haven’t found him so the surface search was stopped,” said Federico.

The PCG Northern Quezon chief said there are questions about the incident that need to be probed further. For one, Fajardo’s belongings were intact, and only the anchor is missing.

“If the boat overturned, he should have lost his things. His things were all there,” Federico said.

Fajardo is the outgoing vice mayor of Polillo, Quezon. He lost in his reelection bid in May, receiving 24.7% of the votes cast, against Loel Santoalla, who received 58.5%. – Rappler.com