Boat captain runs amuck, kills engineer

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The chief engineer of a fishing boat was killed while another fell overboard when their captain went on a shooting rampage while sailing off Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday, police reported on Friday.

Two other crewmembers jumped overboard and were rescued by a passing vessel off the coast of Gutalac town.

The suspect who was arrested in a pursuit operation was identified as Roldan Avelino, 42, captain of L/B Kaleigh 502.

Avelino was cornered at around 3 a.m. Thursday at the shore of Barangay Diculom in nearby Baliguian town.

The fatality was identified as chief engineer Nestor Besanes, 42, of Zamboanga City, and the missing crewman as Reynante Calunsag, 33, of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Rescued were oiler Eduardo dela Cerna, 49, of Zamboanga del Norte, and cook Richard Alberto Mendoza, 22, of Zamboanga City.

Inspector Rogelio Alabata, information officer of the Police Regional Office 9, said the incident occurred at around 9 p.m., as the boat was on a fishing expedition off the coast of Barangay Bayanihan.

Alabata said they have yet to determine what prompted the captain to shoot the victims.

He said the incident was reported to the police by the crew of another fishing vessel.

Meanwhile, in Bataan, the captain of a tugboat who was reported missing on Tuesday was found floating on Friday by fishermen in the waters off Limay town.

Dionesio Cenita of T/B Andrick was found some 500 meters away from the Port of Limay in Barangay Lamao, according to Inspector  Jenny Cruz, public relations officer of the Bataan police.

Andrick’s chief mate, Alejandro Ensendencia, told investigators that they could not find Cenita anywhere in the boat or in his sleeping quarters in the morning of Dec. 1.

In the afternoon of the same day, Ensendencia said he decided to inform their office and the Philippine Coast Guard station in Limay about Cenita’s disappearance. – With Raffy Viray