February brought a cold, quiet morning to the port of San Fernando, La Union. For fishermen preparing their nets and dock workers loading cargo, it seemed like an ordinary day shaped by routine and survival. The sea was calm, the air heavy with salt and diesel. Yet only a few kilometers offshore, aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, an unthinkable tragedy was unfolding—one that would later haunt an entire coastal community and expose the harsh realities faced by society’s most vulnerable.

On that day, Nerisa Ancheta, a 23-year-old woman, boarded the vessel alongside Roselyn Ordono, a 48-year-old woman well known around the port area. For Roselyn, going up and down ships had long been part of her livelihood. She acted as a go-between for foreign crew members seeking brief companionship—an underground economy driven by poverty, desperation, and the absence of better opportunities.

But when morning came, only Roselyn returned to shore.

Nerisa was gone.

No messages. No calls. No trace. Just silence.

A Life Shaped by Poverty and Early Responsibility

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Nerisa Ancheta was the eldest of three siblings, raised in Bauang, La Union, a coastal town where life revolves around the sea. Her father worked as a fisherman; her mother sold dried fish by the roadside. Despite their tireless efforts, income was never enough. Like many children in similar circumstances, Nerisa was forced to stop schooling early to help support her family.

At a young age, she left her hometown for San Fernando City in search of work. She initially stayed with a relative, working as a domestic helper. The job, however, paid little and came with frequent misunderstandings. Disillusioned but determined to survive, Nerisa continued looking for alternatives.

It was during this period that she met Roselyn Ordono.

Roselyn, once a seamstress with a family of her own, had been pushed into informal and dangerous work after losing stable income. Around the port, she was known as “Ate Lyn,” someone familiar to both dockside workers and foreign sailors. She did not begin her life this way, but economic hardship gradually narrowed her choices.

At first, Nerisa resisted Roselyn’s proposal to work near the ships. She had never imagined herself entering such a world. But hunger, rent, and the needs of her family left little room for idealism. Eventually, survival outweighed dignity.

From Caution to False Hope

Initially, Nerisa’s role was limited—selling cigarettes, drinks, and small items. Over time, she observed how others earned significantly more. Slowly, reluctantly, she followed the same path, convincing herself that everything she did was for her family’s future.

She met men of many nationalities—Asian, Middle Eastern, European—often forgetting faces and names. Most encounters were transactional and fleeting.

Until she met Serj Volkov.

Serj, a 45-year-old Ukrainian first officer aboard a bulk carrier, seemed different. He spoke kindly, listened to Nerisa’s stories, and showed concern beyond money. Over time, their interactions deepened. They shared conversations about exhaustion, dreams, and escape from difficult pasts.

At one point, Serj spoke of taking Nerisa to Ukraine. It was a simple promise—but to someone who had known only hardship, it felt like hope.

Unbeknownst to him, Nerisa continued working to support herself and her family. Life did not pause for promises.

The Turning Point

Months later, after returning to his company, Serj underwent a routine medical examination required by his employer. The diagnosis changed everything: he tested positive for a serious illness. He believed he knew where it came from.

Anger replaced affection. Hope turned into resentment.

When Serj’s vessel was scheduled to return to Philippine waters in February 2018, he contacted Roselyn and asked to see Nerisa again. For Nerisa, the request seemed normal—another meeting, another chance to earn.

The meeting was arranged for the early hours of February 12, 2018.

Roselyn, Nerisa, and a boatman traveled by small boat toward the anchored vessel shortly after midnight. Roselyn remained outside while Nerisa went to the officer’s cabin.

That was the last time anyone saw Nerisa alive.

Silence, Fear, and a Terrible Truth

Roselyn later recalled hearing sounds that made her uneasy. Moments later, fear took over. She fled the ship in panic, returning to shore shaken and speechless.

For days, she hid, unable to sleep or eat. Guilt and terror consumed her.

When Nerisa’s mother and aunt came looking for her daughter, Roselyn could no longer remain silent. Faced with their desperation, she finally revealed everything she knew.

On February 18, 2018, Nerisa’s family filed a missing person report. Authorities moved swiftly.

The Investigation and the Evidence

Police boarded the bulk carrier, despite initial resistance from crew members. Nerisa’s body was not found. However, investigators discovered a crucial piece of evidence in Serj Volkov’s cabin: an earring positively identified by Nerisa’s family as hers.

Forensic teams later uncovered signs that the cabin had been cleaned extensively. Traces remained—on the floor, near the bed, and within the drainage system. DNA evidence confirmed Nerisa had been there.

Ship movement logs revealed irregular activity during the early hours following the incident, including the unscheduled use of heavy equipment—raising strong suspicion that something had been disposed of at sea.

Despite the absence of a body, prosecutors argued that the totality of evidence clearly established what had happened.

Justice Without a Body

In September 2019, more than a year after Nerisa disappeared, the court delivered its verdict.

Serj Volkov was found guilty and sentenced to reclusion perpetua—life imprisonment without parole—served in the Philippines.

Nerisa’s body was never recovered. The sea became her final resting place.

Aftermath and Reflection

Roselyn abandoned her former life and never returned to the port. Nerisa’s family mourned a daughter who would never come home, finding only limited comfort in the justice finally served.

This case left a painful lesson behind: poverty can force people into dangerous paths, and not every opportunity is what it seems. Some doors open not to hope, but to irreversible tragedy.

Nerisa Ancheta’s story is not just about a crime—it is a reminder of the human cost of inequality, silence, and desperation.

And of a young woman whose dreams were swallowed by the sea.