7 fishermen missing off Catanduanes – police

(Updated 1:02 p.m.) Seven fishermen on board three separate fishing boats were reported missing off the coast of Catanduanes on Thursday morning, police said. Inspector Ayn Natuel, spokesperson of the Bicol regional police, said the seven fishermen from Barangay San Vicente in Virac town remain missing after they ventured to sea despite inclement weather due to Tropical Storm Falcon. The missing fishermen were identified as: Antonio Abion, Nestor Magdasoc, Vicente Tapit, Prospero Tabios, Paquito Tabuzo, Rolando Tabor and Denver Sta. Ines. Catanduanes is one of the nine areas under public storm signal 1 as Falcon continues to move east of the Philippines. A new low pressure area was spotted off the coast Catanduanes on Thursday morning. Stranded Meanwhile, at least 213 people were stranded in the Bicol Region due Falcon. The Philippine Coast Guard said most of the 213 were at ports in Tabaco and Pio Duran in Albay province, according to a report by radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo. "Base sa reports ng OCD, umabot ng 210 passengers, 15 trucks, one car, three passenger barges, nine vessels, at six motor bancas (Based on reports from the Office of Civil Defense, the stranded included 210 passengers, 15 trucks, one car, three passenger barges, nine vessels and six motor bancas)," Albay Governor Jose Salceda said in an interview on dzBB radio. Salceda also said he has asked the Philippine Navy stationed in Albay to guard the coastal areas and discourage fishermen from going out to sea. He said he does not want a repeat of what happened in Catanduanes, where at least seven fishermen are reported missing. "(Para ito) hindi kami magaya sa missing fishermen. So far wala kaming missing fishermen (We do not want to have missing fishermen. So far there is no report of fishermen from Albay who are missing)," he said. In the meantime, he said evacuation efforts are ongoing in heavily flooded areas. He cited figures reaching him indicating these may involve some 7,276 families. Salceda also said he ordered classes in the province suspended. — Andreo Calonzon/RSJ, GMA News