MANILA, Philippines — About 100 persons were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) after a passenger motor boat capsized early morning Friday off Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu.

Coast Guard Station-Cebu chief Commander Rolando Punzalan said at around 1:35 a.m. Friday, the PCG station received a distress call from a certain Erwin Garcia, one of the distress vessel’s passengers, after an unnamed motor boat reportedly capsized near Hilutungan Channel in Lapu-Lapu City.

Upon receiving the distress call, Punzalan immediately deployed the Coast Guard’s 35-meter search and rescue vessel BRP-Davao del Norte (SARV-3504), which carried rubber boats and rescue divers, to conduct a rescue operation.

The PCG Station-Cebu chief disclosed that the motor boat did not have a permit to sail and secretly left the Port of Tubigon in Bohol.

As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, around 100 passengers had already been rescued. No casualty was reported.