12 persons in Calabarzon drowned during the Holy Week, says PNP

This photo from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows retrieval operations for the bodies of two teenage boys who drowned in the Cagayan River. The boys were first reported missing on Holy Wednesday, March 27, 2024, and the PCG said their bodies were retrieved on Maundy Thursday.

LUCENA CITY – Five more persons drowned on Black Saturday in Quezon, Batangas and Cavite, police said.

In a report on Easter Sunday, March 31, Quezon police said three-year-old “Richard” was found by his parents, dead and floating in a river in Barangay (village) San Lorenzo in Mauban town around 1 a.m.

According to the parents, the boy went missing on the evening of Good Friday, March 29.

In Mulanay town, “Sophia,” described in the report as a minor, and her friends went for a swim in the seas off Barangay Sta. Rosa.

At around 12:30 p.m., she was found floating unconscious on the water.

She was taken to a hospital in neighboring Catanauan town but she reportedly died on the way.

In Batangas, police reported that Joshua Planas, 32, was with his friends in a drinking session near a river in Barangay Mojon Tampoy in San Jose town on March 29.

Planas’ drunk friends went home before the end of the day, unaware that he was missing.

The next morning, Planas’ family went out to search for him and discovered his body floating on the deep section of the river.

In Lian town, John Loyd Lavela, 24, also drowned in the sea off Barangay Matabungkay around 4:30 p.m.

According to the local police, the victim and his friends arrived at the beach resort on the evening of Good Friday.

The next day, the group rented a boat and snorkeled.

At around 4:30 p.m., Lavela removed his life vest and dove into the water.

However, he allegedly experienced shortness of breath and eventually drowned, police said, citing testimonies of his friends.

The group rushed back to the shore and brought him to the hospital, but he died on the way.

Meanwhile, in Tanza town in Cavite, police reported that James Nagpacan and his family were in a beach resort in Barangay Julugan 1 for a vacation.

At around 2 a.m. on March 29, the family noticed that James was missing.

His body was recovered the next day floating near the shoreline of Barangay Amaya 7.

As of March 31, the number of drowning victims in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region this Holy Week rose to 12, based on the police reports.

On Black Friday, the police recorded that at least four persons drowned in separate incidents in Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces.

Police also recorded drowning in Bacoor City, Cavite on Maundy Thursday (March 28), in San Pablo city, Laguna on Holy Wednesday (March 27) and in Infanta, Quezon on Palm Sunday (March 24).