SEARCHING FOR JESSE

They said that the sea in Masbate was merciless in its current and its depth, though the plane and the people they were searching for had fallen just a few hundred meters from the shore---on a clear day at that.

The government threw in everything it had in the massive weekend search and rescue for one of its best---DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, and two men with him, recent hero Capt. Jessup Bahinting who had flown in anti-venom to save a zoo keeper’s life, and a Nepalese co-pilot.

The Air Force flew sorties, the Navy brought in several of its boats and best divers to complement the Coast Guard, as well as a sonar detector; the Army and police and local officials and plain citizens became instant search parties, but came up with only scraps of metal and paper so far.

Still, the best hopes float despite the possibility of the worst happening. Those, and prayer, and the dedication and skills of so many brave men and women, may yet work a miracle and bring them home.