A picnic at Agkhuyo River in Brgy. Samoki, Bontoc, Mountain Province turned tragic after two bakery workers drowned while swimming upstream.
Their lifeless bodies were discovered the following morning, June 30.
The victims, identified as Jeremiah Binan Guing-oy, 25, of Mankayan, Benguet, and Jacob Ting Tan, 38, of Baguio City, had gone missing on June 29 after failing to return from a swim.
Their companions searched but could not locate them, prompting their employer to report the incident to police later that evening.
On June 30, coworkers returned to the river to continue the search and found the victims submerged beneath the water.
Authorities were immediately notified, and the Bontoc Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) together with Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) retrieved the bodies.
A post-mortem examination confirmed drowning as the cause of death. Following the retrieval, a traditional cleansing ritual, Khaeb si Uminoman, was performed at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol.
The local government coordinated with Mankayan and Baguio City officials to transport the remains, while extending condolences to the families and urging the public to show compassion and avoid insensitive remarks online. (Selena Atun)
