LEGAZPI CITY — A 61-year-old passenger drowned while 11 others were rescued after a motorboat capsized off Matnog, Sorsogon during an island hopping tour Sunday afternoon.
Lt. Col. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol regional police spokesperson identified the fatality as Daniel Delmo, a resident of Pasay City.
Initial investigation showed that the motorboat capsized due to overloading and unbalanced cargo and passengers off Subic Beach in Barangay (village) Calintaan while heading to the shore at around 4:30 p.m.
Most of the passengers are from Metro Manila.
The motorboat and the passengers were reportedly not registered with the Matnog Tourism Office.
The boatman was taken into the custody by the Matnog police.
In a statement on Sunday, the Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Office and the Matnog Municipal Tourism Culture and Arts Office condemned the “illegal island hopping,” citing the “negligence” of the illegal boat operator who bypassed the proper process in conducting island hopping activities in the area.
“It is with great concern that we remind the public of the risks of dealing with the illegal boat operators. We would like to emphasize that engaging with illegal boat operators is not only against the tourism code but also puts one’s life in grave danger,” the agencies said in a statement.
Both agencies said that a thorough investigation will be conducted.