DATU ODIN SINSUAT, MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE — After four days of intensive search, rescue, and retrieval operations, authorities recovered the body of a man who went missing while swimming at Dalisay Resort in Sitio Mondalay, Barangay Badak.
The victim, identified as 28-year-old Christian Paul Remollo, also known as “Dodong,” was a resident of Sitio Grotto, Barangay Tamontaka in Datu Odin Sinsuat, and worked at a restaurant in Cotabato City.
According to his coworkers, Remollo disappeared around 7:00 p.m. last Friday, June 20, while swimming in the sea during a night outing. Witnesses said he had been drinking prior to the incident and was last seen enjoying the beach before suddenly vanishing.
Rescue efforts were immediately launched by authorities and concerned citizens, but Remollo remained missing for days. The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Datu Odin Sinsuat, along with other emergency responders, continued their efforts, appealing to the public for any information that could aid the search.
On the afternoon of June 24, Remollo’s body was finally found along the coastal area of Pagadian City. His body was turned over to his family and transported to a funeral home for autopsy, as part of the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The successful retrieval was a joint effort led by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Maguindanao del Norte, in cooperation with the MDRRMO-DOS, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Battalion Landing Team-6, BARMM READi, and barangay responders from Tamontaka, Badak, and Tapian.
Mayor Datu Lester Sinsuat and the Local Government of Datu Odin Sinsuat expressed deep gratitude to all agencies, organizations, and volunteers who contributed to the operation. “Your compassion and service exemplify the spirit of bayanihan and genuine concern for others. Once again, thank you very much,” the mayor said in an official statement.