6.9 quake hits
Negros Occidental

A magnitude 6.9 quake rocked Negros Occidental yesterday noon. The strong quake sent office goers rushing out of buildings, including the provincial capitol of Bacolod.

There were cracks seen the Gaisano store in downtown Bacolod.

The department of education suspended classes in all levels of schools in Northern, Central and Southern Negros Occidental. Some local government units also ordered their employees out of their offices for the afternoon.

The quake, according to Col. Oscar Lactao, 331st Infantry Brigade chief, reportedly emanated off Tayasan of Negros Oriental and extended up to San Carlos and down to Dumaguete City.

Some coastal residents of San Carlos City evacuated to higher areas of the city where the alert leverl II Tsunami warning was sounded, Lactao reported.

So far, the only confirmed report was that of a young boy reportedly killed by the collapsed cement wall in San Carlos. Later, there was a report that this was in Tayasan.

In Himamaylan City, a building was reported to have shows signs of cracks. The same in San Carlos City here one of the biggest stores reportedly also displayed cracks and smashed window panes.

Despite the reported suspension of classes in all levels of private and public schools in the province, there were no reported other incidents.

But in Quentin Remo, Moises Padilla, a classroom reportedly collapsed. But the school principal said the six other classrooms are still okay and can be used to hold pupils in them when classes resume today.

There was an after shock just shortly after the first jolt that panicked a lot of Bacolod residents and office goers. But there was no report as to the intensity. Still, it was apparent that construction workers of a building near the NEDF office along Sixth Street ran out of the building which they were constructing. I personally saw the workers along Sixth Street. All were looking upward to the building with its swaying materials.

That reminded me of the 1946 quake that jolted Negros Occidental. I was awakened with several other seminarians from our sleep when the bells of the Bacolod San Sebastian Cathedral belfry started ringing. And we woke up and rushed downstairs from dormitory.

Although already in the ground floor, we kept swaying with the quake and only quieted down when the shaking of the soil also quieted down.

The next big one I was in was the one that flattened the Ruby Tower in Binondo, Manila. It shook the house we were in at 33 Lakas Ng Bayan, Pasay City, Later, however, I also rushed out of the building when I learned about the Ruby Tower incident. I also rushed there aboard a vehicle of the Manila Chronicle not only to record the quake and the rescue effort by the disaster relief team. But also to help the rescue team.

Anyway, it’s still too early for the complete roundup of coverage of the quake and the panic it swept throughout the provinces in Negros Occidental and Oriental.

***

Equally earth-shaking was the reported killing in Camingawan of Jonel Ealdama.

Karl, 16, his son, sustained a gunshot wound on his left hand a bullet in his abdomen. He is still confined at the Bacolod Doctors Hospital.

Jonel was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bacolod Doctors Hospital. He was an employee of the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Ealdama was reportedly shot by Police Officer 3 Mauro Taleon, a member of the Provincial Mobile. Police Safety Company. The others also ordered investigated in with the shooting of Ealdama and his son are PO2 Eric Moncal, PO1 Gary Sarap, Adrian Gedecendario.

The incident reportedly occurred at a gas station near Camp Alfredo Montelibano, Sr. in Camingawan.

Chief Supt. Ifor Magbanua, head of the PNP’s investigation unit, ordered the disarming of Taleon and ordered him confined to quarters.

Ealdama is the son of former BIR regional official Joe Ealdama, a close family friends.

We hope the case is immediately solved by the Bacolod police and the Provincial police.

***

Negrenses are just as worried about the fate of former Rep. Ignacio Arroyo’s remains which was again reported to arrive yesterday from London.

It appears that a claim by Iggy’s companion, Grace Ibuna, seems to have foiled the turnover of his remains to his legitimate wife by the London Mortuary’s lawyers who contended that Ibuna had laid a prior claim to Iggy’s body on the grounds that she was the legitimate wife of the deceased congressman.

That earth-shaking incident has the hints of a major scandal with two other women, contending that they have the right to Iggy’s remains. Even Jose Miguel Arroyo, Iggy’s elder brother, seemed unable to intervene in the disposition of his remains just waiting for information from Bianca, Iggy’s daughter who reportedly is in London waiting to accompany the dead congressman’s remains.

So, the arrangement for his wake in the family home, the House of representatives, and in Negros Occidental’s Fifth District, remain on hold.

We join the Arroyo family in calling for a ceasefire in the legal controversy in deference to the dead solon who is supposed to rest in peace.*

back to top