MORONG, Bataan, June 27 (PNA) - Six young men died while four others were rescued on Tuesday after strong waves swept them at the beach in Sitio Panibatuhan in Barangay Poblacion here, where they went swimming Monday afternoon.
In a sketchy report, police identified the fatalities as Jun Hernandez, 26; Henry Buagayan, 32, both of Malate, Manila; Basil Gamotin, 22 of Wildcat Village in Makati; Randolf Mercado, 24, of Dagupan, Tondo; Mark Arane Matias, 23, of Tondo, Manila and Patrik Cidro, 24, of Mandaluyong City.
Rescued were Gallary Paredes, 22; Nilo Rama, 22 and Dennis Antonio, 24. The fourth rescued victim was not yet identified. Their addresses were not included in the report.
Police said all the fatalities and those rescued are members of the group Kapisanan ng mga Kabataan Tungo sa Kaunlaran under one Cesar Manalo of Taguig, Metro Manila.
But a knowledgeable source said the real name of the organization is Kapisanan ng mga Kabataan Tungo sa Kabanalan, a youth organization of the "Ang Dating Daan" religious sect headed by Bro. Eliseo Soriano.
The victims were swimming Monday at the Morning Star Beach Resort when, shortly before 3 p.m., the weather suddenly became unfavorable, with strong winds and turbulent waves. Rescuers said the first fatality was Hernandez who was found dead in the afternoon of Monday.
The bodies of the five other fatalities and those rescued were found at the adjacent beach resort, the Coral View, at 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Morong Vice Mayor Jaime Bugay said those rescued were brought to the St. Francis Hospital in Apalit, Pampanga.
Ang Dating Daan has a big convention center in Apalit where religious gatherings of the group are regularly held. (PNA)
LAP/Ernie B. Esconde/utb
link:
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=2&rid=54674
