BACOLOD CITY — Six persons drowned in Western Visayas on the feast of St. John the Baptist on Saturday, June 24.
According to Commander Jansen Benjamin, public information officer of the Philippine Coast Guard District Office in Western Visayas, there were two fatalities in Iloilo, and one each in Negros Occidental, Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras.
The victim from Negros Occidental was identified as Joseph Ragasa, 28.
Based on the investigation, Ragasa was having a drinking session with friends in celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist and was last seen alive swimming at the Malogo River in EB Magalona town.
His friends searched for him and sought the help of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.
Ragasa’s body was later found floating about 20 meters away from the area where he was last seen at about 4:35 p.m. on Saturday.
In Iloilo, Rolando Arias Tañada, 65; and Freddie Divinagracia, 30, also drowned in separate locations.
The other persons who drowned were identified as Matilde Delfin, 57, and a resident of Aklan; Joemar Ocayo, 36, of Capiz; and Jomar Soriano, 40, of Guimaras.
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