PNP: 47 of 49 Central Visayas deaths in Cebu

Cebu registered the most number of casualties in Central Visayas in the wake of super typhoon Yolanda’s onslaught, the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) said yesterday.

Supt. Renato Dugan, PRO-7 information officer, said 47 of the 49 casualties came from Cebu province—one from Lapu-Lapu City and one from Bohol.

Only seven out of 47 casualties from Bantayan Island and three from Madridejos town have been identified.

“Probably there are more casualties that will be reported because the area is almost 90% affected,” Dugan said.

Former San Francisco town mayor Al Arquillano said while his town was badly hit, there were zero casualties and three injured persons.

At 3:45 p.m. yesterday, 62 personnel were divided into two platoons and were sent to Bantayan Island. “In our initial report, there was no power, signal, water and even food in the area,” Dugan said.

Dugan said they are waiting orders from Chief Supt. Danilo Constantino, PRO-7 chief, to deploy additional teams to the isolated island. There were also 16 injured and five missing in Cebu.

Neil Sanchez, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) chief, said the Cebu Provincial Police Office will send additional police will be sent to Daanbantayan and Bantayan towns to stop looting there.

Supt. Noel Gillamac, Cebu provincial police chief, said search and rescue operations continue in Bantayan which remains inaccessible as of press time. Daanbantayan Vice Mayor Gilbert Arrabis said there were nine casualties in their area.

Arrabis identified the fatalities as Basilisa Moralde, Pacondo Inso, Zosima Monterde, Anselma Rosell Ygot, Lesmar Rosell and Vincent Rosell of barangay Tominjao and Dondon Cuda in barangay Paypay, Juanito Dapat of barangay Bitoon and one unidentified casualty in barangay Dalingding.

Arrabis said 95 percent of their town was devastated and they need water, food and tarpaulins for temporary shelters.

He told reporters that they have yet to receive word from nearby Carnaza Island. Correspondents Michelle Joy L. Padayhag and Jhunnex Napallacan and Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos