Fuentebella leads fund drive donors

Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella donated P50,000 yesterday for the victims of the Dec. 30 bombings in Metro Manila, jump-starting a fund campaign initiated by The Philippine STAR’s "Operation Damayan."

"My heart goes out to the victims of this senseless violence, which I condemn in the strongest possible terms," Fuentebella said.

Two other STAR readers, who requested that they be identified only by their initials MGB and MALC, sent in donations of P20,000 and P10,000, respectively, bringing the fund total to P80,000 on its first day.

This developed as philanthropist Dr. James Dy, chairman and president of the Chinese General Hospital, offered to donate an artificial leg to four-year-old Jomarwin Torlao, as prosthetic replacement for his right leg which was blown off in a powerful bomb blast that shattered a Light Rail Transit (LRT) coach as it was approaching the Blumentritt station in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Dec.30.

The youthful victim, earlier identified only as "Emmanuel," also permanently lost his father in the explosion that tore through the front section of an LRT coach, killing at least 22 people and wounding scores of others.

The LRT blast was only one of five bomb explosions that rocked Metro Manila that marred the rush to celebrate the New Year.

Jomarwin and his father Roweno were on their way to Valenzuela City to ask for a Christmas present from an uncle when tragedy struck.

The boy, along with majority of the victims, were taken to the nearly Chinese General Hospital owned by the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association.

Hospital staffers said their boss ordered the immediate transfer of Jomarwin from the charity ward to the pediatric ward, with instructions to give him and the rest of the victims the best medical care and treatment they could provide.

During an earlier visit to the hospital, President Estrada offered to adopt Jomarwin in case he could not be reunited with his parents on relatives.

"I want this boy given the best medical care. If nobody claims him, I will adopt him," an aide quoted the President as saying.

The tot was also assured of scholarship under the Erap Para sa Mahirap Foundation.

As Jomarwin regained consciousness on Monday, he kept asking the doctors to give him back his missing leg.

On Thursday, he was finally reunited with his mom, Rosalea, 24, who was fetched by a television crew from their home in Habay I, Bacoor, Cavite.

"I want to go home," Jomarwin begged his mother.

In another development, Presidential Adviser for Children’s Affairs Jamby Madrigal comforted Sunday the families of four children wounded in last Saturday’s bombings who were undergoing treatment at the Chinese General Hospital in Manila.

"We are here to demonstrate President Estrada’s genuine concern and to make sure that these children are given proper aid and trauma management sessions," Madrigal said.

She gave away baskets of foodstuffs to the children’s families and promised further assistance to the children, who suffered from severe burns and shrapnel wounds.

The four children were wounded at the bombing of the Light Railway Transit station in Blumentritt, Manila where at least 11 people were killed in the most devastating of the five bombings that bloody Saturday.

The STAR’s fund drive will be coordinated by Damayan, the socio-civi arm of The STAR established by its late founding chairman Betty Go-Belmonte.

Those who wish to donate to the fund may call Damayan coordinator Melita Dioso at 527-7901.