Soldiers ready to serve again

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – They swallowed mud and were struck by logs, and one is still looking for his year-old daughter.

About 20 members of the Philippine Army’s 66th Infantry Battalion who survived the catastrophic landslide and flood in New Bataan town, Compostela Valley are glad to be alive, and ready to continue serving.

They were assigned to Charlie Company in Barangay Andap in New Bataan, which was preparing for a Christmas party when typhoon “Pablo” struck.

The rain began pouring Monday night. At around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, the soldiers recalled being jolted awake at their detachment near the barangay hall by powerful winds and a torrent of water and debris.

As residents tried to flee to safety, the soldiers rushed out to help. A log struck Cpl. Joerico Royeras in the head. Charlie Company’s 26-year-old commander, 1Lt. Jose Enrico Nuas, and Pfc. Jerome Labastilla swallowed mud and sand as they were swept away by the raging flood. Labastilla managed to pluck Nuas from the torrent of mud about 500 meters from their detachment.

Pfc. Romil Pedrero, 27, was also swept away together with his wife Jaysyl, 22, and their one-year-old daughter Jasmine, who had slept in the detachment so they could attend the Christmas party.

Jasmine remained missing as of yesterday.

At the emergency room of the Armed Forces Eastern Command hospital at Camp Panacan in this city, Pedrero and his wife expressed hope that their daughter would still be found.

Nuas, who was recuperating in a room in the same hospital, told The STAR, “It’s a miracle I survived. I don’t know how I survived, I don’t know how. All I know was I prayed hard to God.”