CAGAYAN DE ORO- Hunger proved more powerful than COVID-19.
Forced by hunger, five crew members left their ship to buy food ashore but alert residents and policemen intercepted their lifeboat in Barangay Lapasan, this city on Monday, April 6, 2020.
Cagayan de Oro City Police Office spokesperson Major Ivan Viñas said the five crew members of cargo ship M/V King Evaristo were immediately turned over to the Philippine Coast Guard after their arrest.
During the investigation, Viñas said the crewmembers told them they decided to disembark because their food supply has run out since their ship arrived in Cagayan de Oro and anchored at the Macajalar Bay last April 1 yet.
“They were hungry already so they decided to use one of their lifeboats to buy food ashore,” Viñas said.
He said unfortunately for the crew, alert residents of Barangay Lapasan saw them and alerted the police.
Viñas said policemen and barangay tanods were already waiting for the crew at the Lapasan Coastal Road where they landed.
He said the Philippine Coast Guard has already summoned the ship captain Ernesto Culanag for questioning.
The arrested crew members were identified as Ivem Stephen Verde Vigo, a resident of Roxas, Capiz; Madison Santos, a resident of Pampanga; John Harold Fabilio of Caloocan; Rexfield Llorico of Capiz; and Raniel Gala Alvaro of Caloocan city.
The interisland cargo ship came from Siargao Island and was waiting for a shipment of cement which it would deliver to Surigao City.
Cagayan de Oro is on heightened alert after Community Quarantine measures were implemented last March 19 to prevent the spread of the COVID-19./rcg