By Niño Luces & Anthony Giron
As the Christendom observed the Holy Week with the usual serenity, it turned out to be unholy for five individuals who lost their lives in separate incidents.
Four of the five deaths were caused by drowning all in the Bicol region, with two of them happening yesterday, Easter Sunday.
Senior Inspector Malu Calubaquib, Police Regional Office 5 (PRO-5) spokesperson identified yesterday’s fatalities as Samuel Garcia, 27 years old of Brgy Manga, Sipocot town in Camarines Sur province and 12-year-old Ashley Atanacio from Pili town also in Camarines Sur.
Initial investigation disclosed that Garcia was having an excursion together with his family at their village’s resort around 7 a.m. when the victim drowned after going to the deeper part of the sea.
“The victim has a stainless implanted on his leg and believed to have suffered a leg spasm,” Calubaquib said.
Garcia was rushed to the hospital by his brother but was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bicol Sanitarium Hospital in nearby Brgy. San Pedro.
An hour later at the Tikling Island Beach in Brgy Calintaan, Matnog town, Atanacio was with his friend identified as Janine Kate Maclang when the two were swept by big waves while swimming at the said beach.
The two were later brought to the Matnog Medicare Hospital were Atanacio was also pronounced dead on arrival while Maclang survived the incident.
Meantime, Calubaquib said 17-year-old Jayhard Dela Rosa perished while swimming at the Twin Rock Beach Resort in Virac on Holy Monday while 25-year-old Oscar Vargas drowned on Maundy Thursday at a beach resort in Brgy. Caloco, Tinambac town.
In Cavite, an eight-year-old boy died after being sideswiped by a speeding pick-up truck soon after their family came from an outing at a nearby resort.
Case investigator PO2 Anthony B Macario identified the young fatality as RL Abraham Gabing of Sitio GSIS, Barangay San Martin de Porres, Parañaque City.
Gabing was with his siblings, parents and relatives just came out of the Aroma Beach Resort in Naic, Cavite and were about to take a bus ride going back to their place in Parañaque.
As they were crossing the Timalan Concepcion Highway around 7:20 p.m., the truck driven by 53-year-old Ruel Encenas Lucerna hit Gabing and his brother Ralph Lawrence.
Gabing succumbed to head injuries at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Hospital while his brother sustained minor injuries and was being treated at the same hospital.
The investigator was still in the process of determining the cause of the accident but surmised the driver failed to hit on the brakes as the road where the mishap happened was known to be a dark area.
Charges of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide and physical injuries are set to be filed against Lucerna today.
