Widow's Accidnetal Death Causes Her Daughter's Death And Fire Razes In Maasin City

JUly 29,2009 Widow’s Accidental Death Causes Her Daughter’s Death By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr. Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The untimely death of an old widow caused by a vehicular accident that took place at past 5:00p.m. in brgy. Mambajao during the recent Wednesday has caused for the equally untimely death of her older daughter after receiving the sorrowful message from her nephew. The old woman who died thirty five minutes later at the provincial hospital after she was hit by the speeding motorcycle was identified as Leonora OchaMarte,78 years old, and a resident of brgy.Mambajao here in this city. The driver of the Ramstar motorcycle was identified as Allyn Soco Amo, 20 years old, married, and a resident of brgy.Panan-awan. In an interview with SPO2 Donato Cervantes, Traffic Police Officer, he disclosed that the victim was crossing the national highway in going to their “inner” home when she was hit by a speeding motorcycle driven by the suspect. Cervantes said the suspect came from Pan-awan and was to fetch his wife working at SLEMCOOP office in brgy. Asuncion, less than half a kilometer away from where the victim was hit. According to police investigation the victim was hit on her body but struck her head on the concrete pavement causing her head to bleed profusely. She was rushed to the provincial hospital by her relatives for emergency treatment. However, she died of brain hemorrhage 35 minutes later. At the victim’s residence, younger daughter Joyce Marte-Padilla, 39 years old, married, and resident of brgy.Isagani, said in an interview that after her mother has expired she called a long distance to Mindanao. She said she instructed her nephew Rayjill Marte in brgy.Diplahan, Sibugay, Zamboanga City to tell his aunt, Joyce’s older sister, Marilyn Marte, 54, single that Nanay Leonora (mother Leonora) was hit by a motorcycle and died. Ms.Padilla revealed that in just 35 minutes later after receiving the sad news from Rayjill, Marilyn, her older sister has also died, as frantically and sadly conveyed to her by Rayjill in a long distance call from Zamboanga City. She intimated that her older sister Marilyn has a hypertension and that the sad incident might have affected her emotion very badly causing her blood pressure to rise. “Most probably, she could not accept what had happened to our mother”, she said. A concerned citizen stressed that a son or daughter should have to relay a sad family incident to any member of the affected family in an indirect manner thru hints or implications, not on a direct statement of disclosure. “Mostly loved ones who have received a sad or bad news within a family from afar by a straightforward revelation has an adverse consequences to a kin who has hypertension or heart disease”, she said. Nevertheless, she (Ms, Padilla) confided that they have done the direct approach of revealing the sad family news to some of their close kins here, but no-one was seriously affected by the demise of her mother. “Of all my mother’s children”, she confessed,”Manang Marilyn is the closest to our mother. They are so close that mother’s sudden death might have grieved her deeply”, she said. The body of Marilyn placed in coffin was brought here from Zamboanga City 2 days after she passed away.. They were buried simultaneously at the Catholic cemetery in brgy.Mantahan six days after the incident. A relative of the suspect further divulged that after the victim’s close kins have evaluated the condition of their widowed Septuagenarian mother being in her old age, they have decided to have an amicable settlement with the suspect’s family. The latter have agreed to pay the former the amount of P65, 000.00 as damages.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Bungalow-type Building Chars Into Ashes By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr. Maasin City, Southern Leyte-An estimated P600, 000.00 worth of damages covering the burnt bungalow-type building, personal belongings, 7 computers, home appliances and important documents were charred into ashes during a recent Friday fire caused by unattended kerosene lamp which tipped over when it was struck by a window curtain that was blown by the wind. This was disclosed by F02 Joel A. Jarabe, arson investigator in an interview at their office located at the reclamation area here. He said that the building owned by Mario Durat, Jr., married, has a mixed occupancy. Its front part is an internet café which was managed by Durat’s sisterin-law Cherry Bragas, 31, single. She is the younger sister of Durat’s wife Felma. The middle part of the building is the residence of the owner who is working abroad, leaving his family behind who managed their business. While the back portion is occupied by another family of Mila Pajao who rented it. Jarabe said that in an investigation, Isabela Pajao, 83 years old, mother of Mila, revealed that when she was on her way to her room, there was already a fire. Pajao told police that there were plenty of papers inside her room. Since she was left alone and no-one could put out the fire, she opened the door and shouted for help. Her neighbors immediately responded. The arson investigator said the people were bringing water on buckets and in some other containers to put out the fire. While Felma who was viewing the TV rushed out of the house with her laptop together with her 2 children. He said Felma went back to retrieve some more of their personal belongings but could no longer enter. The fire has already spread which the people failed to control. On the other hand, the old woman was rushed out from the burning building by one of her neigbors.It was then that one of them called the police station instead of calling the fire station directly, Jarabe said. “The fire has started at about 8:00p.m. Friday night., but we received a call from the police station at 8:20p.m.The 20 minutes delay in calling for an emergency assistance like fire is too long considering that there are flammable and light materials inside the room where the fire has started”, he said. Some nearby neighbors who panicked also rushed out from their respective houses. They brought with them their belongings including some appliances and other things for fear of a big fire that has eaten up the edifice.Jarabe said the fire was put under control only after spraying it with large volumes of water for 20 minutes upon their arrival. He also said that the dilatory calling of SOLECO to switch off the main switch in the area has also contributed to the delay in putting out the fire. “WE cannot just train our hoses to the burning building without switching off first the main switch of the place ,because we will be electrocuted if we do it”, he said.” “Water is a conductor that will allow the electric current to pass towards us, thus causing an electrocution”. He claimed that based on his investigation and analysis, the probable caused of the fire was that an unattended kerosene lamp was accidentally struck by a swinging window curtain that was blown by the wind causing the kerosene lamp to tip over and start the fire. The fire investigator further emphasized the importance of every city dwellers and all the residents of the new city to familiarize themselves with the fire station’s telephone numbers. “In this way it would be easy for them to call our office immediately in case of fire”, he said. He likewise appreciated what the people in the neighborhood have done to help put out the fire.However,he said, “they should called us also immediately to save the house earlier and lessen the damages than do it themselves and called us later”. “Good that the fire when we arrived has not yet spread to other nearby houses that were made mostly out of light materials”.

Additional Firetrucks Jarabe moreover said that the Maasin Fire Dept has already 5 firetrucks including 2 assault firetrucks.Unlike before when there was only 2.He said they are always ready to respond to fire emergency. “Our firetrucks are regularly full tank”, he said, in response to allegations that their firestrucks contain no water. He divulged they have luckily hit a wellspring just a few meters away from their office that would not dry up even during summer season. He claimed it could provide and support large volumes of water to meet an emergency needs. “Before, we have to fetch water for our firetrucks at faraway bolokbolok spring in brgy. Maria Clara, thus delaying any kind of concerted efforts that we have done to save a burning house, “he said. “Fire hydrants locations were also far from each other”. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)