Boy who fell off bridge during "Ramon" dies

CEBU, Philippines - One of the children who fell from a footbridge which collapsed at the height of typhoon Ramon last Wednesday in Toledo City died last Friday afternoon.

Jhunale Parba, 15, died of severe head injury at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

His younger brother, 12-year-old Jelmar Parba, who was luckily spared from a head injury, is now in a stable condition according to Elmer Canillo, leader of an indigenous group in Cebu and a friend of the victims’ uncle.

 Before Jhunale, Wilfredo Sabroso, 27, their companion when crossing the bridge last Wednesday noon, died on the spot when he hit his head on a portion of the bridge which connected Barangays Magdugo and Cambang-ug.

 Last Wednesday, the victims, who are coconut wine vendors, were crossing the steel bridge supposedly on their way to Barangay Ilihan to sell their coconut wine when the bridge collapsed. Canillo said they will go to the Office of the Ombudsman most probably today to study the possible charges that they can file against Toledo City officials who allegedly ignored precautionary measures for the said bridge. Canillo said unidentified people kept on extracting sand and gravel in the area which eventually weakened the foundation of the bridge.

 “Nakita nato ang pagpabaya jud sa gobyerno sa pagproteher sa atong kinaiyahan,” Canillo said.

 Police said the bridge weakened due to the continuous rain. The victims risked crossing the bridge despite an earlier warning from the barangay captain of Magdugo that nobody should cross the said bridge because it was dangerous.

 Toledo City Police said the bridge, which was situated about 40 feet above a creek, was totally wrecked and no longer passable. Jhunale was the third fatality recorded during the tropical storm Ramon.

 The other fatality was Sabroso who was with Jhunale when the bridge collapsed. Another casualty died in a separate incident and was identified as Beinvenido Cañete, 60, a tricycle driver from Barangay Poblacion, Cordova town who was electrocuted last Tuesday night. - THE FREEMAN