Death toll in landslide-hit Camarines Sur town rises to 22; 5 still missing

LEGAZPI CITY — The number of casualties in the town of Buhi in Camarines Sur province has risen to 22 after 11 more casualties were reported in a village a week after Tropical Depression “Usman” (later downgraded to low pressure area) spawned landslides and floods in Bicol region.

Buhi police spokesperson Jonah Quien said that the 11 casualties were also members of the indigenous people Mt. Iraya Agta living in Ipil village. Previously, only the villages of Sta. Cruz and Iraya have reported dead and missing residents.

“[Ipil village] was not able to report immediately because they were at the boundary of Albay province and Buhi town,” Quien told Inquirer. She said that the landslide site was at Sitio (sub-village) Mabuyod.

The nameless bodies have also been accounted for after village officials and relatives of the victims identified them through photos taken before they were buried at Buhi Municipal Cemetery.

The names of the victims from Sta. Cruz village are as follows: Hubert Capiz, 6; Ampit Capiz, 8; Danny Boy Capiz, 10; Urbanito Capiz, 12, whose body was found in Iraya; Rochelle Capiz, 15; Juan Capiz, 40; Sheila Eclarinal Capiz, 46; and Martina Cervantes Consulta, 70.

Meanwhile the victims from Iraya village were 9-month-old John Carlos Olbis Tejara, whose body was found across Buhi Lake at Tambo village; Jessa Labro, 1, also found at Tambo village; Charlene Joy Tejara, 3; Gloria Competente, 19; and husband and wife Rolly, 34, and Anacorita Conde, 50, who were also both found at Tambo.

In Ipil village, the victims were three-month old Ailyn Colina, whose body was found in Iraya; Angelo Colina, 3, whose body was found at Sitio Pascang in Tambo; Porferio Colina, 16, whose body was found in Ibayugan village; Maximino De los Reyes, 21; Angie Competente Cipcon, 28, whose body was found in Iraya; Ursolo Colina, 32; Nicanor Cervantes Decena, 32; Rafel Colina, 38, was found in Iraya.

Meanwhile, the five Buhi residents who were still missing were Iraya’s 5-year-old resident Gina Conde; Sta. Cruz’ 11-year-old resident Richard Consulta; and Ipil’s Mai Mai Colina, 12, Vernecy Colina, 13, and Antonio San Juan Arines, 20.

The Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Regional Emergency Assistance Communications Team (React) Buhi, and other volunteers continue the retrieval operations in the three villages as of Sunday. /je