Roland Lerma

Roland Lerma is a 30-year-old survivor of a devastating fire that broke out on the passenger-cargo vessel MV June Aster in the Philippines. He is newsworthy due to his harrowing firsthand account of the incident, which occurred on a Wednesday evening while the ferry was en route to Palawan province. Lerma described the chaotic scene, recalling frantic cries and being trampled by other passengers as he scrambled to escape the blaze. He managed to survive by crawling and eventually leaping from the burning boat. His testimony provides a critical human perspective on the tragedy, which has resulted in multiple fatalities and a significant number of missing persons. Lerma's experience highlights the dangers faced by passengers during such emergencies and underscores the severity of the accident.