Body recovered from collapsed mine pit in Camarines Norte

Authorities have recovered the remains of one of the three persons buried inside a collapsed gold mining pit in Paracale, Camarines Norte.

The remains of 22-year-old Julian Cabarubia, earlier identified as Jay-Ar, were found past 4 p.m. Thursday, after it floated in the entrance of an adjacent pit, Bicol regional police spokesman Supt. Renato Bataller said.

“Lumutang daw po ito… dun na po ito lumabas dun sa isang katabing butas na pag-aari ng a certain Martires,” Bataller said in a phone interview.

Cabarubia and fellow gold panners Carlo Salen, 37, and Luis Sayson, 33, were buried inside a pit being financed by Agosto Jordan in Sitio Bulaay, Purok Maligaya, Brgy. Palanas.

The pit collapsed after water that accumulated in an adjacent pit rushed in, police said.

“Ang termino nila dito ay ‘nabulwat,’ kapag sinabing nabulwat, nabutas siya, aksidenteng nabangga mo ‘yung hukay ng iba, kaya ayun, bumulwak ‘yung tubig at natabunan nga at nalunod itong ating mga biktima,” Bataller said.

Several pits have been found in the area and some of them have been neglected, causing water to accumulate inside, he said.

Gold panners in Brgy. Palanas cover up their “guerrilla operation” by hiding the pits under makeshift huts, according to Bataller.

Authorities are still trying to recover the remains of Salen and Sayson as of Friday morning.

“‘Yung dalawa ay nakakapa na ng divers natin, at kasalukuyan pa ngayong target ng retrieval operation. ‘Yung personnel ng OCD regional office 5 ay nandoon na rin sa area para tumulong sa retrieval at may panukala nga sila na i-pump ‘yung tubig sa loob ng hukay para mas mapadali yung pagkuha sa debris at nang mailabas na rin ‘yung dalawang bangkay dun sa ilalim,” Bataller said.

Only three people were reported to police as having been buried in the pit, though there is talk that more are inside, he said. (John Roson)

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2 killed, 4 hurt in bus-truck collision in Camarines Norte

Two people were killed while four others were injured when a passenger bus and a cargo truck collided head-on in Talisay, Camarines Norte, police confirmed Thursday.

Superintendent Renato Bataller, Bicol regional police spokesman, identified the fatalities as DLTB bus driver Edgardo Roll, 42, and a certain Eman, a truck helper.

Bus passengers Fernando Ramores, 31; Mark James Fulgencia, 8; Jesse Emmanuel Salazar, 20; and Edison Sevilla, 17, another truck helper, were brought to the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital due to injuries on the different parts of the body, Bataller said in a phone interview.

The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, while Marjon de Jesus was driving the Fuso Canter truck (CSV-811), which was loaded with steel bars, along the Maharlika Highway in Brgy. Itomang.

“Medyo mabilis ang takbo niya (De Jesus) at pagdating doon sa lugar na pinangyarihan, sumampa po itong trak dun sa mga nakatambak na mga sako ng graba at buhangin dun sa ginagawang kalsada,” Bataller said.

Due to the impact, De Jesus lost control of the truck which then swerved to the opposite lane, where it smashed into the incoming bus.

De Jesus is presently detained at the Talisay Police Station while charges are being prepared against him, Bataller said. (John Roson)

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4 soldiers, civilian killed in rebel attack in Camarines Norte

Four soldiers and a civilian were killed as alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members attacked a village in Labo, Camarines Norte, on Sunday.

Major Angelo Guzman, Army 9th Infantry Division spokesman, identified the fatalities as Cpl. Amado Perillo, Pfc. Paulo Orticio, Pfc. Teodoro Ojeda, Pfc. Sonecio Potian, all of the 49th Infantry Battalion; and civilian Francisco Ruales, 49.

Another soldier, Pfc. Leland Besada, suffered a bullet wound to the neck and was brought to the Camarines Norte Provincial Hospital in Daet along with civilian Marlo Matibang, who was also injured, Guzman said in a statement Sunday night.

The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. in Brgy. Maot.

Ten soldiers, led by 1Lt. Eric Estrevillo, were conducting “community work” near the barangay hall when they came under a “heavy volume of fire” from more than 20 rebels, Guzman said.

“They were conducting house-to-house dialogues and coordination regading their future activities in the barangay,” he said.

The soldiers, who were divided in three groups, engaged the rebels in a 40-minute firefight but four did not make it out alive, Guzman said.

The rebels, meanwhile, were able to take six M16 rifles, a K3 sub-machinegun, and a caliber-.45 pistol from the soldiers.

Colonel Richard Lagrana, commander of the 902nd Brigade, directed the 49th IB to conduct “sustained” operations to track down the attackers and ordered other troops to join the hunt, Guzman said.

Major Gen. Josue Gaverza Jr., commander of the 9th ID, said they will file charges of human rights violations against the rebels.

“Three of our soldiers, who were already incapacitated by gunshot wounds, were shot to death at close range by the rebels,” he said.

Gaverza, however, also ordered the creation of a board of inquiry to determine if troops committed “lapses.” (John Roson)

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Storm death toll hits 20

Twenty people have been confirmed killed while nine others remain missing due to floods and landslides brought by tropical storm “Juaning” (international name: Nock-Ten), Office of Civil Defense administrator Benito Ramos said in a text message.

Five members of a family got killed when a landslide buried their home in Jose Panganiban town, Camarines Norte, 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Senior Supt. Victor Deona, deputy director of the Bicol regional police, said in a phone interview.

The rains also flooded many ricefields in Albay and Camarines Sur but local governments have yet to issue a damage report on agriculture. “Practically all of Albay has no electricity,” Deona said.

“It is not raining here now but it’s still cloudy. We hope it will not rain again soon because the soil is already very saturated, that’s dangerous,” he added. (John Roson)

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