Still no sight of plane wreckage, say Masbate officials

Malacañang Photo

MASBATE CITY, Philippines—Local officials here on  Monday said there has been no sight of the wreckage of the light plane that crashed in the waters off this city on Saturday afternoon with three persons still missing, that of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two pilots.

Masbate City Mayor Socrates Tuason on Monday said that “up to now, there has been no sight of the wreckage and of the missing, even in the exact place where the flight manifest” was found.

Earlier reports confirmed that the manifest with the names of Robredo, his aide Chief Inspector Jun Abrasado, pilot Capt. Jessup Bahinting, and Nepalese copilot Kshitiz Chand were found in waters 750 meters off the shore.

Abrasado had escaped from the doomed plane and was rescued by fishermen.

Senior Superintendent Heriberto Olitoquit, Masbate City police chief, in an interview Monday, said his order for all chiefs of police on the eastern seaboard of Masbate mainland and the western seaboard of Ticao Island to conduct search and rescue operation along the coasts have not yet yielded positive results.

Olitoquit said there was neither wreckage nor body found.