OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental — March 21, 2026 — A missing motorized fishing boat, along with cash and equipment, was successfully recovered and returned to its owner after a swift response from authorities and the honesty of a local fisherman.
At around 8:00 a.m., personnel of the Misamis Occidental Maritime Police Station immediately responded to a report from a concerned citizen regarding an abandoned motorized banca spotted drifting in the waters off Barangay Maningcol, Ozamiz City. The vessel had been discovered earlier by a fisherman, who towed it ashore and promptly informed barangay officials.
The fisherman was identified as Lemuel Sabedra Bongosia, 37, single, and a resident of Purok Matinabangon in the same barangay. Upon arrival, responding officers secured the recovered vessel and its contents.
Authorities reported that the following items were found intact inside the boat:
- One motorized banca painted white and yellow with blue and red stripes
- One Honda Mega 15HP gasoline engine
- One wooden paddle
- Eight liters of unleaded gasoline
- ₱4,000 in cash
- Ten pieces of hook-and-line fishing paraphernalia
- One keypad mobile phone, which had been damaged due to water exposure
Despite the cellphone being soaked and no longer functional, authorities were able to retrieve the SIM card and successfully contact the boat’s owner.
At around 12:30 p.m., the owner, Leonard Floro Crampatana Dadivas, 39, single, and a resident of Purok 7, Barangay Bagumbayan in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, arrived to claim his property.
According to Dadivas, the boat had been missing for four days after its mooring line reportedly snapped, causing it to drift away.
The recovered banca and all its contents were turned over to the rightful owner, with nothing reported missing.
Dadivas expressed deep gratitude to the Misamis Occidental Maritime Police Station, barangay officials of Barangay Maningcol, and especially to Bongosia for his honesty and prompt action in securing and reporting the abandoned vessel.
Authorities commended the cooperative effort between the community and law enforcement, highlighting the incident as a testament to integrity and vigilance among local residents.