Body of missing mother found on waters of Carmen town

The body of the 32-year-old mother who went missing on Sunday was found on the waters of Barangay Luyang in Carmen town on Tuesday. | Photo courtesy of Kring Redera

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The search for a 32-year-old mother, who went missing after she was swept away by floodwaters while bathing at the Tinubdan Falls in Catmon town, is finally over.

Fishermen in the neighboring Carmen town found the body of Jacel Alastra on the waters of Barangay Luyang at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28.

Alastra has been missing since Sunday afternoon, September 26, after she and her seven-year-old daughter, Princess, and a 17-year-old nephew were swept away by flashflood.

The body of Kent Junde Monterolla was found near the spillway in Katambisan in Barangay Corazon in Catmon town on Sunday night while Princess was found in Sitio Kulo, Barangay Duyan at around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 27.

READ: Catmon tragedy: Body of girl swept away by flashflood found, her mom still missing

Police Corporal Gemmar Alegro of the Catmon Police Station said a fishermen found Alastra’s body about 15 kilometers away from the shorelines of Barangay Luyang in Carment town at about 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

The discovery of the body was reported to the police two hours after.

“Sa lawod na, mga 15 kilometers away from the seashore. Nakit-an sa atoang mananagat mga 1 a.m. Pagkakita sa mananagat, nagpahibaw siya sa Carmen Police Station,” Alegro said.

(The body was found floating on the water around 15 kilometers away from the seashore.  It was found at about 1 a.m. When the fisherman saw the body, he immediately reported this to the Carmen Police Station.)

Catmon town Councilor Dan Jusay said the retrieval operation started at around 5 a.m.

“Ang iyang nahimutangan, naa siguro sa 13-to 15 kilometers from the shoreline gikan diri sa Carmen. Layo layo na og naabtan (tungatunga sa dagat sa Carmen ug sa Camotes),”

(The body was found 13 to 15 kilometers from the shorelines of Carmen.  This is already close to the boundary of the Carmen and Camotes [Island].)

Quoting information from Alastra’s kins, their group visited the Tinubdan Falls on Sunday to celebrate the death anniversary of a family member.  But the tragedy, which claimed the lives of three of their family members, happened.

Alastras is from the neighboring Tuburan town.

As of this writing, Alastra’s kins are still making arrangements to finally claim her body.

Meanwhile, Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said he is still waiting for a formal communication from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and the provincial government on his earlier recommendation to prohibit visits at the Tinubdan Falls for now.

Soriano said he will be sending a personnel to ensure compliance with the mandate as soon as a directive is released by the Capitol.

In an earlier interview, Wilson Ramos, PDRRMO interim information officer, asked tourists to always have “presence of mind” when visiting natural attractions.

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/ dcb