Office of Civil Defense 11 (OCD 11) Director Ednar Dayanghirang clarified to Edge Davao that only one of the six bodies recovered in connection with the MBCA Amejara accident has been positively identified.
Dayanghirang confirmed on Monday that the victim was identified by his common-law wife. He added that he did not ask what the identifying marks were or how she recognized the victim.
“Wala ko kabalo unsa ang ilhanan ngano nailhan sa common-law-wife. But the common-law-wife agreed with the NBI, and the NBI also looked for identifying signs,” he said.
He explained that the body will be released to the victim’s brother, who is expected to arrive in Davao City on Thursday.
“Kana lang dili pa lang ma-release kay common-law-wife siya, so ang body i-release sa brother ng victim. I am sure identified na kay nagsabot na sila. Dili puwede mudawat ang common-law-wife, but the nearest kin na ang brother nga on Thursday pa mu-arrive,” Dayanghirang said.
He also clarified that the second recovered cadaver has not been convincingly identified, and the family declined to accept it. This contradicts reports that two bodies had already been identified.
“The second cadaver was not convincingly identified,” he said.
According to Dayanghirang, the remaining five recovered bodies have not yet been identified. He noted that updates may change as families continue to contact authorities to assist with identification.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM) continues its intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining nine missing passengers of MBCA Amejara.
In a statement, CGDSEM said the operation is being conducted in close coordination with multiple partner agencies to ensure a comprehensive and effective response. These include the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM), Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC), Philippine Air Force–Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao (PAF-TOWEM), Philippine National Police (PNP) Davao Occidental, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Davao Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (MDRRMOs) of Sarangani, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Sta. Maria, and Malita.
CGDSEM assured the public that all available resources remain fully committed to the search and rescue efforts.
