ARMM gov't extends help to victims of sunken vessel in Sulu

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Friday ordered the ARMM’s health and social welfare departments to help local officials attend to the needs of passengers of a sea vessel that sunk in Sulu Thursday night.

In a text message, Hataman said he had also ordered the ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team to help provide rehabilitation interventions to the survivors of the sea mishap.

Five passengers of the ill-fated wooden-hulled vessel, MPB Wilayza, were reported drowned while many others are still missing.

The boat, loaded with cement and other construction materials, reportedly capsized some eight miles off the shores of the adjoining Pata and Tapul island towns in west of Sulu, a component province of ARMM.

“Initial reports reaching me indicated that there were 50 passengers on board,” Hataman said.

He said he had also instructed the ARMM police office to augment with more rescuers the policemen and soldiers now conducting search and rescue operations in the spot where the boat capsized.