By LIEZLE BASA INIGO, ZALDY COMANDA
CAGAYAN – Search-and-rescue teams recovered 19 bodies in four Cagayan Valley provinces that were hit by landslides and massive flooding in the aftermath of typhoon “Ulysses”, the Police Region Office 2 (PRO2) reported Saturday.
Police Lt. Col. Andree Abella, information officer of PRO2, said the victims were from the provinces of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Isabela.
The bodies of Frank Jay Pagulayan, 19; King Jim Bragasin, 18; Ian Philip Pagulayan, 17; Virginia Bautista, 60, were recovered at the landslide site in Bitag, Grande, Baggao Cagayan.
The remains of drowning victims Marlon Badjet, 43, of Baculod, Alacala, Cagayan; Mark Angelo, of Barangay Dicamay 1, Jones, Isabela; and 3-year-old Jake Punay, of Maddela Quirino, have already been recovered, police reported.
The death toll from landslides in Ruruno, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, has risen to 10, following the recovery of five more bodies, according to PRO2 report as of 11 a.m., Saturday.
They were identified as Jaile Ann Taniza, 15; Francisco Napadaoan, 54; Cresencia Nahoy, 27; Ben Uyami Jr, 31; Dexter Nah Oy, 2 months old; Mark Binway, 15; Jomar Comilang, 33; Noel Bucayo, 39; Joel Buyucan, 26; and Omar Bola 17.
Meanwhile, six persons, including two engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), were still the subject of a search operation after a two-story house collapsed into a ravine during a landslide in Sitio Nabitu, Viewpoint in Banaue, Ifugao on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Police Regional Office (PRO)-Cordillera director Brig. Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan, said personnel of PRO-Cordillera, together with other emergency response agencies and volunteers, were still conducting search operations with the help of sniffing dogs in a bid to find the victims, who were believed buried by rocks and soil.
On Friday, five bodies were recovered from the site, two of them were identified as personnel of the DPWH-Ifugao 2nd District Engineering Office Joel B. Chur-ig, driver; and Johnny M. Duccog, laborer.
The three other recovered bodies were identified as Lance Bruce Guinyang, 3, of Viewpoint, Banaue; Dante Boqueng, of Cambulo, Banaue; and Jose P. Piog, 71.
Pagkalinawan said rescue teams were in the area to retrieve the bodies of the missing victims, including Engineers John M. Limoh and Julius B. Gulayan, Jr.
It was learned that the five DPWH personnel and one private contractor were clearing an earlier landslide in Viewpoint, Banaue, on Thursday when heavy rains fell. They sought refuge in the house owned by Bresler Tucdaan, which was situated on the shoulder of the road in Sitio Nabitu. The DPWH personnel joined six residents in Tucdan’s house. Later, another landslide occurred sending the house into the 100-meter deep ravine.