Body of 1 of 2 Pinoys in Phuket mishap buried in Cotabato City

COTABATO CITY –– The body of one of two Filipino tourists, who perished at a beach in Phuket, Thailand on July 17, arrived here on Tuesday and was immediately buried.

Family and friends fetched the body of Noah Ibay II, 40, as it arrived at the city airport on Tuesday and immediately brought it for burial in Barangay Sapad, Matanog town of Maguindanao.

Ibay, a Muslim, and his companion Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez, 29, were swept away by huge waves while surfing at the Freedom Beach in Phuket. 

They were with 11 other tourists from this city.

Thai police earlier reported four Filipino tourists missing but two of them were immediately found. 

Ibay’s body was recovered three days later while that of Cortez was found only on Sunday.

Ibay’s body was buried in a family-owned lot in Matanog in the northern part of Maguindanao. 

Accompanying the car that carried his body were more than 100 cars filled with grieving friends and relatives.

Relatives of Cortez said his remains would arrive in this city before the weekend.