The 6 pilgrims who went missing on the slopes of Mt Banahaw were found alive by a search and rescue team as they were leaving the mountain through an exit in Sariaya town in Quezon. They were detained Saturday, March 22, at the Sariaya police station as charges of trespassing a restricted area of the mountain were filed against them. They face a fine of P5,000 to P500,000 or imprisonment of up to 6 years. Among the 6 pilgrims was a 73-year-old man whom authorities feared the most for. They went up the mountain to avoid the crowd of pilgrims and climbers drawn to Mt Banahaw every Holy Week. The blaze on the mountain, believed to have been man-made, destroyed 50 hectares of Mt Banahaw. Authorities are considering closing the mountain from visitors for good to allow rehabilitation.
Read the full story on Rappler.
The related story on the Mt Banahaw fire is on Rappler.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.