Body of missing Zamboanga environment worker found

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  — Members of a search and rescue team found yesterday the body of one of the four missing city environment workers near Sta. Cruz Island, said.

Maj. Elmer Solon, Zamboanga City police Station 11 commander, identified the victim as boatman Mudzmar Habing, one of the maintenance workers of the city’s Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), who was reported missing since Tuesday morning after their motorized boat might have been rammed by an unidentified speeding vessel.

Still missing are Badzair Attan and Ibrahim Hassan, both employees of PAMO, and boatman Rasbi Ambiting.

The three victims were maintenance workers of PAMO assigned in the protected area of Sta. Cruz Island, which is famous for its pink sand beaches.

 The floating body of Habing was found by relatives who joined the search and rescue operations and deployed 20 of their boats in the area.

 Solon said the victim was positively identified by his family through his clothes and sandals, and an identification card in his possession.

The victims were enroute to the mainland at dawn last Tuesday, but they did not arrive at their destination several hours after leaving the island aboard a motorized pumpboat. 

Authorities recovered the debris of the pumpboat on Wednesday, but the passengers and boatman were missing. 

Police are investigating the possibility that the victims’ motorized banca could have been struck by an unidentified watercraft.

Mayor Maria Isabela Climaco-Salazar on Thursday has placed a P50,000 reward money for those who could help provide information that could lead to the recovery of missing employees and the boatman.

Salazar also assured the victims, relatives that city government would continue investigating the incident to find out the truth.