THE five bodies recovered from the capsized motorbanca MBCA Amejara were found within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Southeastern Mindanao waters, authorities said, clarifying that the remains were located inside a pre-determined “search-and-rescue quadrant” and did not drift into foreign maritime territory despite the operation extending far offshore.
Officials confirmed that the bodies were located at least 75 nautical miles offshore, in waters approaching, but not crossing the boundary of the country’s economic zone near Indonesia. The recoveries were made on Saturday morning, January 24, 2026, six days after the motorbanca met its tragic fate in the Davao Gulf last January 18.
Office of Civil Defense-Davao Region (OCD-Davao) Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang said the location of the recovered bodies was consistent with the search-and-rescue (SAR) modeling prepared earlier by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which accounted for prevailing sea currents, wind direction, and drift patterns.
“Yung lahat na na-recover, doon talaga sa quadrant na gi-plano ng Philippine Coast Guard. Walang lumabas—sasabihin mo na nagpunta doon na nagpunta Indonesia o saan, doon talaga sa estimated quadrant nila,” Dayanghirang said in an ambush interview with Davao reporters following a special conference with Philippine Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM) on the same day.
Tragedy at sea
The MBCA Amejara sank while traveling from Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental, for what was supposed to be a routine fishing trip. The vessel encountered strong winds and large waves, causing it to capsize in rough sea conditions.
There were supposed to be 15 people onboard the time of the incident. One passenger identified as Christopher Bulig was rescued alive on the second day of operations, while others were initially reported missing, triggering a large-scale maritime search involving multiple government agencies.
Recovery operations
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that five bodies were recovered on January 24, following reports from local fishermen who spotted floating remains near an artificial reef in waters off Balut Island, which is under the jurisdiction of Sarangani and Davao Occidental.
According to CGDSEM Commander Commodore Philipps Soria, four of the bodies were initially sighted by the Salazar fishing fleet, owned by a member of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary. The recovery was spearheaded by BRP Artemio Ricart (PS-37) of the Philippine Navy, which has already transported the remains to Balut Island on Saturday evening for proper handling and identification.
"The four [bodies] reported earlier this morning were within Sector 3 of the SAR area. After they are retrieved by our Philippine Navy vessel, they will be brought to the nearest island, Balut, to be airlifted here to Davao," he said.
Meanwhile, he added that the fifth body was later spotted by a fixed-wing surveillance aircraft, Islander 251, participating in the aerial search. The body was seen beside white debris and orange floating objects believed to be related to the victims’ personal belongings or safety equipment. Retrieval efforts were carried out despite challenging sea and weather conditions.
Why the search area extended offshore
Authorities explained that the distance at which the bodies were found around 70 to 75 nautical miles from shore remains within Philippine maritime responsibility, even though it lies beyond the country’s 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.
Under UNCLOS
The territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles, where the Philippines exercises full sovereignty.
The contiguous zone covers up to 24 nautical miles, allowing limited enforcement.
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles, where the Philippines holds sovereign rights over marine resources and conducts maritime safety and search-and-rescue operations.
The Celebes Sea, where portions of the search took place, lies south of Mindanao and stretches toward Indonesia. While the area is geopolitically sensitive due to its proximity to international maritime boundaries, officials emphasized that search-and-rescue operations are legally permitted under international conventions, even near EEZ boundaries, provided proper coordination is observed.
Sector-based search
The SAR operation was divided into four maritime sectors, covering the Davao Gulf, Sarangani Bay, and parts of the Celebes Sea. These sectors were designed based on drift analysis, which projected how bodies or debris would move over time due to currents and wind.
The bodies recovered were found in Sectors 2 and 3, areas that authorities identified early on as high-probability zones. Some remains were reportedly discovered approximately 68 to 75 nautical miles southwest of Sarangani, reinforcing the accuracy of the Coast Guard’s predictive modeling.
Ongoing efforts
Despite the grim developments, authorities said they have not officially shifted from search-and-rescue to search-and-retrieval mode, maintaining hope that additional survivors could still be found. They cited an experience where a person was rescued after 30 days being adrift.
Surface vessels and aerial assets from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Air Force remain deployed in the area.
Dayanghirang said all recovered bodies are undergoing proper identification procedures, with assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and health authorities. The remains are expected to be airlifted to Davao City for forensic examination and eventual release to families.
Commitment to accountability
The Philippine Coast Guard assured the public that all verified updates will be released promptly, and reiterated its commitment to exhausting all possible efforts to locate the remaining missing passengers. DEF