MANILA — The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers has launched a comprehensive investigation into the unexplained vanishing of seafarer Ralph Bobiles, 28, suspending the maritime agency responsible for his deployment and demanding answers about his disappearance at sea.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced Thursday that Parola Maritime Agency Corporation’s license has been suspended due to what he termed “badges of negligence” surrounding Bobiles’ disappearance on December 5 while aboard the MV Prestige Ace.
The vessel, carrying an all-Filipino crew, was en route from Veracruz, Mexico to Baltimore, Maryland when Bobiles went missing. Critically, the ship’s crew failed to report his disappearance to U.S. authorities upon arrival, raising significant red flags.
“We are not satisfied with the explanation from the license-manning agency,” Cacdac told reporters. The department received no investigation report or captain’s statement, and only five of the ship’s 16 crew members were presented for questioning.
Contrary to potential speculations about self-harm, Cacdac emphasized that Bobiles had recently spoken with his wife and was anticipating a promotion from cadet to ordinary seaman, suggesting no apparent personal distress.
The newly passed Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers now mandates that families of missing maritime workers receive full investigative details. Bobiles leaves behind a wife and three children aged five to eight.
“One life is just too many,” Cacdac stated, pledging to pursue all legal avenues to uncover the truth behind the seafarer’s mysterious disappearance.
The investigation continues, with the DMW committed to holding maritime agencies accountable and providing answers to Bobiles’ grieving family.
