4 persons drown in spillway mishap

MAUBAN, Quezon, Philippines – A fun-filled birthday party turned out a bitter memory for relatives of four victims and three survivors after a vehicular accident hit them in a spillway while traversing Barangay San Rafael, this municipality, on Sunday.

Police Chief Inspector Rancer Evasco identified the four bodies who drowned at the spillway when the volume of water increased were Renato Bolado Dy, 55, married, businessman, native of Barangay Daungan; Vic Raymond Pastrana Rojo, 43, married, jobless, residing at Barangay Sadsaran; Godofredo Calusin Tampoc, 59, electronic technician, resident of Barangay San Lorenzo; and Merhan Remolona Almiranes, 41, married, jobless, resident of Barangay Sadsaran; while the three survivors were Menandro Valiente, 47, businessman; Tobias Manaoag, 56, married, engineer, resident of Barangay Lual; and Eduardo Macayan, 51, married, jobless, residing at Barangay Rizaliana, this town.

Evasco said that around 11:20 p.m. Sunday, the four victims together with three survivors were traversing Barangay San Rafael on board a Mitsubishi Pajero (XJM-825) owned and driven by Valiente coming from a birthday party. They are about to pass a slant when a spillway of more than 100 meters increased forcing the vehicle to push itself towards the side but fell into a deep ravine.

Four old folks under the influence of liquor did not manage to alight from the vehicle. The three survivors who sustained minor injuries were able to break away from the vehicle’s windows and swam to the side of the river. Lawmen recovered the victims’ bodies at around 11:50 p.m.