By the Bohol StandardLast Wednesday one Boholano seaman went to the Lord instantly while three other Filipino crew members are missing from their vessel M.V. Gold leader, after a three ship collision that took place in the Akashi Strait in Japan’s inland sea, a coast guard official said.
The ship that Alexander Mercader was working on collided with both another vessel and a tanker.
The 1466-ton Belizean cargo ship sank with nine Filipino on board.
The name of the fatal crew member is Alexander C. Mercader 33 years and old single and born to loving parents Villardo and Justina Mercadar from Booy district this city of Tagbilaran.
His dad works with the city health department of Tagbilaran and his mom is a stay at home wife as explained by his father Villardo.
His parents were at Congressman Edgar Chatto’s house yesterday seeking assistance to have their son’s body brought back straight to their residence after it arrives here on this coming Thursday March 14th 2008.
In a special interview with the Standard yesterday after Mercaders’ had spoken with Congressman Chatto they said at first they had though of it as foul play because their son was one out of nine who was dead.
His father said that this was his sons’ third ship after his graduation at PMI College as a deck department graduate.
The agency where their son was employed had called to the residence of Mercader and relayed what Villardo said was sad news.
Villardo also said to the Standard that out of all his children his son was very honest, respectful and was helping his younger siblings with paying for their schooling.
The last time Villardo had had any contact with his son was the Monday three days before he was killed and in that conversation he told his parents to prepare three pigs for his homecoming at the end of March and for a possible wedding that was suppose to be.
On the day of the accident two good kids’ things had happened while the one sad incident of their son had taken place Villardo said with peace of mind in his voice that the day he received the phone call from the crewing agency in Manila one son was suppose to go to Qatar to begin work and the other daughter had just passed her nurses review.
Villardo says his son was always apprehensive being out on the sea working on a ship after the 911 attacks in New York city because at that same time U.S. helicopters had flown down onto his first commissioned vessel and immediately pointed guns at the crew inspecting the vessel for any terrorist activity on board.
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