A young female Army lieutenant was killed in Quezon province on Wednesday night after a landslide hit the vehicle she and her colleagues were riding on their way back from Metro Manila.
Second Lt. Michelle Mae Delariarte, 24, had just come back from shopping for raffle prizes in Taguig City when her vehicle was hit by a landslide in Barangay Magsaysay, Infanta.
Delariarte died of severe head injuries after the Isuzu Crosswind rolled over twice due to the impact caused by the landslide.
Her colleagues in the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division suffered minor injuries from the accident, which happened late Wednesday night on the Marikina-Infanta Road.
Col. Rodel Mauro Alarcon, chief of the 202nd Brigade under the 2nd Infantry Division, said the victims came from shopping in Taguig City for raffle prizes and gifts for their unit’s Christmas party.
Delariarte was the civil military operations officer of the 1st Infantry Battalion.
Her colleagues—Cpl. Renato Villanueva, who drove the vehicle, 1st Lt. Sarah Jane Bagasol and Pfc. Cheryl Ramirez—sustained minor injuries. They were brought to Claro M. Recto Hospital for medical treatment.
Lt. Col. Christopher Tampus, the commanding officer, said the victims were done with their errands in Metro Manila and were on their way back to the battalion headquarters in Barangay Tongohin, Infanta, when the tragedy happened.
The victims were delayed in returning to their headquarters because of the traffic jams in Metro Manila, Tampus said.
He said on the phone Delariarte told him that they were already in Barangay Magsaysay or 10 kilometers away from the headquarters around 11 p.m. Wednesday.
A few minutes later, the female lieutenant called him again to report that their path on the Marikina-Infanta Road was blocked by a landslide from the side of the mountain, preventing their vehicle from proceeding any further.
Delariarte asked for reinforcements and a bigger vehicle to fetch them.
“Around 11:44 p.m., she called me up, telling me, ‘Sir, please hurry, we were hit by a landslide,” Tampus said.
However, the concrete portion of the road gave way, causing the vehicle to roll over twice, ending up half buried in rocks and earth. The vehicle nearly fell off the mountain.
The passengers were able to get out, except for Delariarte who had to be pulled out of the Crosswind by her colleagues.