3 days ago
PCG: Human trafficking victims among survivors of capsized boat in Palawan
Several Filipinos supposedly bound for Malaysia were among the 11 persons on board a motorboat that capsized in the vicinity waters of Canibugan Island, Balabac, Palawan last June 8, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday.
According to the PCG, there were eight rescued individuals, two others missing, and one fatality from the MBCA Kumpit.
The Coast Guard said the survivors were rescued by residents and fishermen from the nearby island.
Initial investigation showed the passengers of the motorboat first arrived in Puerto Princesa City where they were picked up by a white van.
'After a six-to-seven-hour drive, they were transferred to a tricycle that brought them to a coastal pickup point. Then, they boarded MBCA Kumpit, with two crew members on board,' the PCG said in a statement.
'The survivors said they were on the way to Malaysia via a backdoor route in Bataraza, Palawan.'
Further, the survivors told authorities that MBCA Kumpit encountered engine failure and began to drift in open waters.
The PCG said a female passenger from Cavite was the lone fatality in the incident.
Moreover, authorities were able to locate another group of individuals who were trying to exit the country in Rio Tuba, Bataraza also in Palawan.
'While they initially claimed to be tourists, the authorities are investigating the intelligence tip from earlier survivors that said they were part of the same illegal recruitment and transport operation bound for Malaysia via the backdoor route,' the PCG said. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News
