Funeral on foot for Barili kin

THIS time, the dead will be accompanied on foot.

The ten casualties of Thursday’s road accident in Barili town where a dumptruck lost its brakes and crashed with almost 70 passengers on their way to a funeral, will be laid to rest today in the town’s pubilc cemetery.

A new row of concrete tombs  was built for them atop niches in the Sta. Ana Shrine.

“There remains a fear of riding vehicles. So as much as possible, we will carry them. Wagtangon nato ang fear nila… we will bring them safely to their last destination,” said Barili Vice Mayor Marlon Garcia.

Pall bearers will carry the caskets with bamboo poles and rope.

This was the agreement of the families, barangay Kangdampas chief and the municipal council on Friday afternoon.

A foot procession will take place from the town’s gym, where a vigil wake for the 10 victims is being held, to the church half a kilometer away, then another kilometer to the cemetery.

The deaths were a big blow to the farming village of barangay Candampas.  Most of the fatalities and riders on the dumptruck were relatives of 69-year-old Tranquilina Diagbel, whose burial the large group of mourners were attending that fateful afternoon, said

Kangdampas barangay captain Leonardo Iñigo Sr.

The driver, Alvin Bayno, was charged with reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide.  He was taken to Cebu City yesterday for inquest proceedings at the Cebu  Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

So far only two complainants pressed charges – Dionisa Escarpe and Benji Ricoplasa, who lost famiy members in the accident.

The driver said the rubber cap of the brakes suddenly exploded, making him lose control of the vehicle as it went downhill and then overturned.

But the barangay captain said he saw Bayno stop the truck just before the accident.

Iñigo was on board a multicab tailing the funeral cortege.

“The truck made a stop at a flat surface. He and his helper got down and checked the brake fluid,” he said.

“He knew something was wrong. His helper even called his attention. Maybe that was why he reduced the speed of the truck.”  One of the survivors, Eugenia Empis, 41, sat in front with three others in the dump truck. Empis said she just closed her eyes and prayed when the truck sped downhill.

The driver survived without injury.

Another survivor, Gregoria Lacostares, 57, who was discharged from the hospital Friday, said she recalls the truck stopping near the bakery and the driver getting down to refill the brake fluid.  She was standing at the back of the truck bed.

Renato Paragoso, 42, lost his wife Herbasia. The construction worker was in a jobsite in San Fernando town at the time of the accident.

With his wife gone, he said he would have to go back to tilling their land to support their two children.

“Nindot ug naay asawa nga ikatambang sa kinabuhi… Disgrasya gyud ni (It’s wonderful to have a wife  to help you out in life… But this is an accident),” he told CDN.

Renato said no one can be blamed but the Kangdampas barangay captain said they will press charges against the driver.

Vice Mayor Garcia said they will leave it up to the family whether to file a case against Bayno.

Burial and hospitalization costs are being shouldered by the Cebu provincial government and the town, with assistance from  the office of 3rd district Rep. Pablo John Garcia.

Barili is the hometown of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Sacks of rice, grocery items and cash assistance were distributed to the casualties and the wounded victim from the Cebu CFI Community Cooperative.