A man who didn’t know how to swim drowned in Bato river last Friday afternoon while crossing the river on board a wooden banca.
In its report, the Bato police station identified the victim as Alex Marin Aquino, 26, a jobless resident of barangay Guinobatan.
Investigation disclosed that at about 4 PM of May 20, 2022, Aquino, who relatives claim was under the influence of intoxicating liquor, invited his cousin Rafael Aquino and a friend, Tristan Jay Latorena, to go to the “napo” on board an outrigger wooden banca to have fun.
When they reached the “napo,” Alex wanted to go back to fetch his uncle Arturo so he could join them but Rafael disagreed as Alex could not swim or row the banca.
When Alex insisted that he could practice rowing the boat, his cousin stopped arguing with him, confident that the victim could do what he wanted.
After Alex got on the boat and rowed towards the other side of the river, Rafael later noticed that the banca was at the edge of the quarry site.
He immediately ordered Tristan Jay to go to Alex’s house to find out if he had returned home.
After a few minutes, Tristan Jay came back to report that Alex was not there and the two nervous friends began looking for their missing companion at the river and nearby sea of Cabugao Bay.
But their search was overtaken by nightfall.
The following morning, joint elements of the Bato MPS, MDRRMO Bato, the Philippine Coast Guard, PDRRMO, the Philippine Red Cross rescue team, and a group of fishermen conducted a search and retrieval operation.
At 10:50 AM of May 21, the body of a man was found floating at sea approximately a kilometer away from the shore of Batalay.
Family members later confirmed the body to be that of Alex Aquino.