SORSOGON CITY -- Search and rescue operations continued for five crew members of a cargo ship which sank off San Bernardino Strait late afternoon Thursday last week along the coasts of Bulusan and Matnog, Sorsogon.

        Supt. Edgardo Ardales, operations chief of the Sorsogon Police Provincial Office, said the five missing persons were part of the 19-man crew of the LCT Don Wilfredo which sank after being battered by giant waves spawned by strong wind on its way to Legazpi City.

        Ardales said the other fifteen crew members had already been rescued by local fishermen and police personnel of the towns of Matnog, Bulusan and Barcelona.

        John Paul Sibug, an apprentice crew and one of those rescued, said they left Mandaue City on February 11 and was supposed to arrive in Legazpi last February 13 but big waves forced them to seek shelter in Samar.

        He said they left Samar around noon of February 13 and when they reached San Bernardino Strait past noon Thursday their portside started to tilt due to huge waves.

        Sibug when interviewed said they were forced to abandon ship past 5 p.m. when the ship started to capsize.

        He said the 996-gross-ton vessel, owned by the Candano Shipping Line based in Legazpi City, was loaded with 780 palettes of San Miguel Beer from Mandaue City.

        He said he was rescued in Bgy. Isabel, Matnog by local residents at around 6 a.m. Friday.

        Ardales identified those rescued as Manuel Belangel of Tabaco City, Sherwin Devero of Negros Oriental , Noe Labro of Samar, Arnulfo Abayon of Davao City, John Marlon Dato-Buhatan of Sorsogon City, Nelson Floresca ofPampanga, Jason Andaya of Aurora Province, Orlando Cacam of Pangasinan, Rogelio Villanueva of Negros Occidental, Evangelista Manginsay of Iligan City, Michael Fonce Labistilla of Bohol, Luis Janojan ofBohol, Gilbert Mariano of Pampanga, and Sibug, also from Pampanga. Those who remained missing were Boat Capt. Nathaniel Latorena, Jose Ordaneta of Cotabato City, Rey Catubuan of Roxas City, Rommel Espinosa of Mindanao and Jervy Palad of Pampanga.