Just a glancing touch

Perhaps, we, Negrenses, should fall down on our knees and thank
God for allowing only a glancing touching in Southern Negros Occidental by super typhoon Pablo.

I suppose many of us must have heeded the appeal of Governor Alfredo Marañon to pray to God to spare our province from the adverse impact of Pablo.

That was a rare but effective approach to ward off what could have been a devastating blow by the super typhoon.

Even just that swerving blow at the last minute reportedly demolished 80 light material houses in Barangay Alim of Hinobaan. There, according to another earlier report, 44 light material homes were also damaged by the sea surges which hit the shoreline.

The original report on the demolished homes came from Barangay Captain Callardo.

But in New Bataan Compostela Valley in Davao, reports said that some 80 persons died when the flood waters swamped loaded army trucks, sweeping away including military rescuers.

There were conflicting reports – 34, 40 and later 84. But apparently, the toll must be high enough to warrant repeated calls for assistance from the relief and damage units.

We still have to hear the reports from other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

But, to be honest with it, we had expected a much higher casualty toll than had been originally anticipated. But the local damage control units must have worked efficiently that the citizens had evacuated when there was imperative need for them to heed the call from the government and non-government units.

National Relief and Disaster Management Center head Benito Ramos apparently maintained his vigil for typhoon Pablo.

Anytime he was on television, Ramos, who is undersecretary of defense, was on top of the situation. His replies were up-to-date, and his reports were not alarming, only factual.

I supposed hitherto recalcitrant residents must have heeded his appeal and warning. “We are not going to put the lives of our relief workers in danger when we have to respond to the desperate cries for help by those who had earlier resisted attempts to transfer to safer places,” Ramos said.

That, I think, is the most commonsensical solution to the problem of hardheaded residents who normally refuse to leave their homes until cornered by the situation later when they cry out for help to be rescued.

That happens very often in natural calamities. In fires or typhoons or floods. There are always those who refuse to leave their homes for fear their goods will be looted by others.

Unfortunately, when they finally decided to leave, it is always late so that the life of their would-be rescuers are also in danger.

I guess this is something that must be dinned into the minds of the public. Do not endanger your rescuers by refusing to heed the calls for your evacuation.

***

But while we were spared heavy casualties from the super typhoon, there was another tragedy that hit Damgo in E. B. Magalona Tuesday when a Ceres bus heading north swerved out of control in the highway and plowed into two houses at 1:40 p.m.

The result – the bus, driven by Jess Amable Martinez, 44, slammed into two houses and fell into a canal.

So far, reports said, those killed in the mishap were identified as Florida Pelagio, 38, and her son, Gaspar, 6; and Jullanne Lamis, 1.

Some of those in critical condition had to be pried out from beneath the bus. They are now in critical condition in a local hospital, the reports also said.

Definitely, all hands were needed to help the treatment of the injured. These included Rep. Albee Benitez (3rd,Neg. Occ.), E.B. Magalona Mayor David Lacson and the Ceres liner management who offered to help defray the medical expenses of the injured.

***

That situation to a certain extent eases the apprehensions by local residents that the killers of Police Officer 2 Arnold Cañal may be able to escape the police dragnet.

The suspects were headed by Ramil Arcena, Lino Cuadra, alias Dodoy and two unidentified companions.

All are reportedly armed and considered dangerous. Regional Police Director Supt. Agrimero Cruz has ordered that the suspects be immediately arrested, even as the police filed charges of murders and frustrated murder against Arcenas. The manner by which they killed Cañal, said Chief Ricardo de la Paz was treacherous.

The wounds suffered by Cañal were all on his back and another at the back of his head.

PO2 Federico Nicolas was wounded on both legs.

Nicolas, reportedly asked Cañal for help when Precinct 8 failed to respond to his calls for assistance.

According to the investigators, it was actually Cuadra who accidentally shot Samson Suico, an employee of the Golden Shadow Bar.

What was strange is the fact that Arcenas had reportedly shot another policeman several years back. Why was he drinking at a bar at the time of the Cañal shooting incident is something that deserves to be clarified by the police.

Expect some dramatic twists in the search for Arcenas and his companions by a police posse led by Supt. Santiago Rapiz, head of the Special Operations Group of the Bacolod Police.*

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