Pinoy victim in Haiti survived a quake in RP

SAN LEONARDO, Nueva Ecija , Philippines  – Army Sgt. Eustacio Bermudez Jr. survived a killer earthquake that destroyed the Christian Colleges of the Philippines building in Cabanatuan City when he was a student in 1990.

Last Wednesday, the body of Bermudez, a member of the Army’s Special Operations Command based in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, was recovered from the rubble of the hotel which housed the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

However, a classmate of Bermudez, who was also rescued from the rubble of the school building in Cabanatuan City, survived the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

Cpl. Ignacio Catacutan, also a member of the Philippine peacekeeping contingent, was rescued from the ruins of another hotel in Haiti.

Bermudez’s wife Ruby Jean said her husband told her that when he returns from Haiti next month, he would celebrate his 38th birthday on Feb. 1 with her and his mother.

Her birthday and that of her mother-in-law’s fall on Feb. 1, she added.

Ruby Jean said she last talked with her husband on Jan. 12, a day before the earthquake.

Her husband told her that he had already bought his pasalubong for her, his daughter, mother, four sisters, and other relatives, she added.

“No matter what appeal we made, they were not able to save him,” she said.

Last Sunday, Ruby Jean was still hopeful that her husband would be recovered alive just like what happened in Cabanatuan City 20 years ago.

Bermudez’s mother Teresita said her son was then a first year education student when he and more than 300 students were trapped underneath the collapsed building of the Christian Colleges of the Philippines following the massive earthquake in 1990.

Her son was rescued with just a few bruises, she added.

Some 150 students and teachers died, Teresita said.

Meantime, the remains of three Filipino peacekeepers and a UN worker killed in last week’s earthquake in Haiti are set to arrive Monday.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., Armed Forces spokesman, said arrangements are underway for the repatriation of the bodies of Navy Data Processor 3 Pearly Panangui, Air Force Sgt. Janice Arocena, Army Sgt. Eustacio Bermudez and United Nations volunteer Jerome Yap.

“Without any travel hitches, the remains of our fallen soldiers will arrive Monday afternoon,” he said.

Brawner said the bodies would be initially taken to the Dominican Republic, then to the United States.

From the US a commercial plane will fly the bodies to the Philippines, he added.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado, Army commander Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena and Navy chief Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez are due to lead the military arrival honors for the three fallen soldiers.

Also expected to be around are the immediate families of the dead soldiers who will be escorted by Maj. Steven Ducusin, one of the Filipino military officers in Haiti. – Marvin Sy, Manny Galvez, Jaime Laude