ZAMBOANGA CITY — Naval Forces Western Mindanao through its Naval Task Group-Tawi-Tawi recovered a missing Philippine-flagged motor launch near the coast of North Borneo after it was reported missing on 27 November.

Naval Forces Western Mindanao Acting Commander  Captain Dwight Steven Dulnoan said yesterday NTG-Tawi-Tawi recovered M/L Laiza 1 near the coast off North Borneo Wednesday night, 30 November.

The successful recovery of M/L Laiza 1 was in collaboration with the Maritime Command Center-Tawi-Tawi and MCC-Tawau under the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement Framework.

On 30 November, MCC Tawau was able to locate the missing vessel and coordinated with the MCC Tawi-Tawi and NTG-Tawi-Tawi prompting the deployment of BRP Florencio Inigo (PC393.)

Dulnoan said 12 crew members and 15 passengers, all of them Filipinos, were rescued by the Navy's BRP Florencio Inigo after being adrift at sea for four nights.

The rescued crews and passengers of M/L Laiza 1 were immediately brought to Lamion Wharf in Bongao and were given medical attention, warm clothes, and food.

According to Dulnoan M/L Laiza 1, departed Bongao town in Tawi-Tawi  on 26 November and was bound for Taganak, Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi  when it was reported missing after it failed to reach its destination.

PCG Sub-station Bongao issued that alarm on the missing M/L Laiza 1 and subsequently forwarded it to MCC-Tawi-Tawi. Eventually they coordinated with MCC-Tawau in North Borneo, Dulnoan said.

Learning about the incident, Turtle Islands Mayor Hadji Mohammad Faizal H. Jamalul  immediately ordered search and rescue operations in the seas bordering the Philippines and Malaysia.

A joint search and rescue operation conducted by law enforcement agencies of Turtle Islands failed to find the missing vessel, Mayor Jamalul also reported.