Father seeks PBBM help for missing seaman son

A grieving father Elias B. Bobiles Jr. is begging President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to help him locate his missing seafarer son, Ralph Anthony Bobiles, 28, working as deck officer at Panama-flagged vessel Prestige Ace, a ship transporting high-end cars bound for Baltimore USA disappeared on December 5, 2024.

Bobiles, 62, Barangay captain of San Roque in Tabaco City, first expressed his appeal to fellow Filipino seafarers in a Facebook post to help his family locate and send them any information to reunite with them thus to tell the truth about his disappearance. He said that his son has been missing for nearly a month.

“My son Ralph Anthony Bobiles, a seafarer, has been missing for nearly a month. He was boarded on a cargo ship named PRESTIGE ACE sailing under the flagship of Panama and the ship route was from Vera Cruz Port, Mexico to Baltimore Port, USA when he went missing,” he said.

“Now I’m desperately seeking information regarding his disappearance through social media. I hope this can help us fnd him. When I learned that my son went missing, I’m consumed by worry, each passing day without news about him feels like eternity. My heart is shattered into a million pieces thinking what could have happened to him,” he said.

He appealed to his son fellow Filipino seafarers onboard the Prestige Ace ship to provide them with information about his disappearance and to help them reunite with their son whatever the course may be.

“I am also appealing to his co-Filipino seafarers who were also onboard when he went missing, I know from the bottom of my heart that Ralph had been a good friend to all of you. Please help us with any information that will help us reunite with my son and find the truth about his disappearance,” he said.

“As a father, it’s unbearable not knowing my son’s faith. Please help me reunite with my son. Any details, no matter how small, can help us bring my Ralph home. My son is more than just a seafarer, he’s the heartbeat of our family, a devoted son, brother, husband and father of three precious children waiting for their dad to bring home presents last Christmas,” he said.

He also urged the national government agencies and offices to help them fast tract the investigation. “I am also pleading to all concerned government agencies and offices to help us fast track the investigation, please. Your prayers for his safe return will also be of great help in this most difficult time,” he said in his Facebook post.

On Friday, the grieving father told in a radio interview over the DZGB local radio station that his son, Ralph Anthony, a deck cadet aboard the Panama-flagged vessel Prestige Ace, was reported missing on December 5 after disappearing while the ship was heading to Baltimore, USA.

Elias believes foul play and negligence as the ship’s officers failed to report his son’s absence until 5:00 p.m., nearly seven hours after Ralph was last seen on that fateful day.

“Ralph, working alongside ordinary seaman Michael Layao, began his duties aboard the 200-meter car carrier, which was transporting high-end vehicles. At around 10 a.m., Ralph and Layao took a 15-minute snack break. During this time, Layao saw Ralph heading towards his cabin,” he said.

But Elias noted that there was no clear reason for Ralph to return to his cabin, considering the proximity of the crew mess hall to his cabin.

When work was resumed at 10:20 a.m., Layao checked on Ralph in his cabin but received no response, presuming that Ralph had returned to his assigned task.

Report said that the crew continued with their duties, and by noon, Ralph had not been seen during lunch break. Subsequently, the seafarers’ work resumed at 1 p.m., but no one had looked for him during that time until after 5:05 p.m. that a crew member reported Ralph missing the whole day wherein the ship had traveled far, and the surroundings were dark.

The grieving father describes it as a nightmare underscoring the lapses of the ship officials.

“It was a nightmare for us without any concrete information. We are appealing to President Ferdinand Marcos and the government agencies to help us locate the whereabouts of my missing seafarer son,” Bobiles pleas. – BY RHAYDZ BARCIA