Mayor returns cash to family of stampede victim

Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio returned yesterday cash amounting to P49,000 recovered by his volunteer workers from one of those killed in the Ultra stampede last Saturday.

Eusebio handed the money to Aurora Soriano’s children — Lovinsky, 36, and Shirly, 34, — during a ceremony at City Hall.

"Mabait ‘yong nakakuha at ibinalik kaagad ang pera. Mabuti at hindi nagka-interes," the son said after the turnover. "Malaking tulong ito bilang pandagdag sa gastos sa libing ng nanay."

He said his mother was engaged in a buy-and-sell business at their neighborhood in Tatalon, Quezon City, The money she was carrying was intended to buy vegetables at the Balintawak market in Quezon City on that fatal day.

"Nagkayayaan silang magbarkada na manood at sumali sa TV show. Tatlong pampasaherong sasakyan silang umalis sa amin noong Biyernes ng gabi," the son said. "Ang pera ay dapat pamamalengke ng nanay sa araw na ‘yon."

The cash was recovered by Candy Lacno, a volunteer of the Pasig rescue team, the first batch of rescue workers to arrive at the site at 7 a.m. last Saturday.

Rescue team commander Rommel Antinero had directed his team to frisk the bodies and get ID cards and other items that could help authorities identify them.

"Nakapkap ko sa bulsa niya ang pera. Akala ko namamalikmata lang ako pero talagang pera ang nasa kamay ko kaya’t ini-report ko ito kay Mr. Antinero," Lacno said.

She took the cash from Soriano’s right front pocket and counted it in the presence of Antinero, police officials and media men.

The money was later turned over to Senior Superintendent Raul Medina, Pasig police chief, for safekeeping.

Medina, Lacno and Antinero joined Eusebio during the turnover of the money to Soriano’s children.

Apart from the money, the Soriano siblings also received one of two bags their mother was carrying.

"Dito inilagay ni nanay ang baon niyang tinapay," the daughter said. The other bag has not been recovered.

The son said they learned of their mother’s death from a neighbor who had invited her to watch the show.

"Sinabi ng kapitbahay namin na nakita niya ang nanay na nakatihaya at mukhang patay na kaya dali-dali kaming umalis para hanapin ang bangkay niya," he said.

The daughter said her mother was in high spirits when she left their house. "Masayang umalis ng bahay ang nanay kaya’t parang mahirap tanggapin na patay na siya," she said.

The son said their search ended at 10 a.m. when they found their mother’s body piled up with 60 others at the lobby of the Medical Center in Pasig City.

Among those killed were two of his mother’s companions, he said.

Eusebio said two Pasigueños were among the casualties.

"Sinagot naman ng ABS-CBN ang lahat ng gastusin kaya’t ang maitutulong na lang namin ay ang pagpaaral ng kanilang mga anak," the mayor said.

Soriano will be buried on Saturday at Himlayang Pilipino in Tandang Sora.

QC offers assistance

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. directed the social services and health departments at City Hall to coordinate with authorities in the identification of residents who were among the the fatalities in the Ultra stampede so necessary assistance can be extended to their families.

"The city government wants to make sure that those affected by the tragedy get all the necessary support," Belmonte said during yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony.

City Hall employees observed one minute of silence as they offered prayers for those killed in the stampede in Pasig City last Saturday.

Belmonte said as news of the stampede broke out last Saturday morning, he immediately convened an emergency response team, headed by Quezon Police District director Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan Jr. to assist the victims.

The mayor said the response team has coordinated with hospitals in the city for the possible confinement of the injured.

Belmonte also said there are lessons to be learned from the stampede that left 74 people dead, particularly in preparing for crowd-drawing events.

"We had our own share of tragedy last year when two people were killed at the Amoranto Stadium last year," the mayor said.

Last Sept. 11, two people were killed during a stampede at a free concert at the stadium.

Most of those killed at Ultra were poor people that lined up at the gates in the hope of becoming an instant millionaire. Several prizes, including cash, were at stake during the event.

Belmonte said the city government’s main priority has always been to address the problem of poverty that affected almost half of the city’s 2.4 million poulation.

Among the poverty alleviation programs being pursued by his administration is health, education and livelihood assistance projects.

Meanwhile, Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri said he will provide financial assistance to the families of those killed in the stampede.

Echiverri identified city residents who died in the incident as Ruffa Rosales and Rosalina Salazar both of Dagat-Dagatan; Ounesia Selano of Camarin; Virginia Javierto and Josephine Barra, both of Barangay 144. 

The mayor is set to visit the wake of the fatalities to personally express his grief and extend his condolences to the kins of the victims.The city’s Crisis Intervention Unit and Reformed Department of Public Safety and Traffic Management rescue team assisted those hurt in the incident and helped locate their families.

The City Social Welfare Department provided counseling services. City health officer Dr. Racquel So-Sayo, through the President Diosdado Macapagal Medical Center, also provided medical check-ups and medicine to the injured.

The city government is now monitoring the condition of those were hurt in the incident. — With Perseus Echeminada