SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK
A supposed witness of the recent car crash in Tagaytay City that killed six minors claimed that there was no immediate response from authorities when the accident took place early Sunday morning.
A certain Den Castillo took to Facebook to debunk claims of police and share her account of the accident along Tagaytay-Calamba Road, which she called as “the real story.”
READ: 6 dead as speeding car slams into tree in Tagaytay
Castillo said she and her group were on their way back to Manila when they noticed the burning car, which hit a concrete barrier and slammed into a tree, on the highway.
“Amusing at first dahil parang sa pelikula (because it looked just like a scene from a movie), until my friends and siblings (we were six in total) noticed that there was someone inside the car. May tao pa sa loob ng umaapoy na kotse (Someone was still in the car), and she was still trying to move her head out of the window. And this scenario got us alarmed because NO ONE WAS IN THE AREA TRYING TO AT LEAST EASE OUT THE FIRE,” Castillo said.
The witness said they got out of their car to personally respond to the accident and mobilize other team of witnesses to rescue the trapped passengers.
“Bumaba kami agad (We got off our car immediately) and asked people (2 men) from outside of Discovery Suites for help. Nakatawag na raw ng rescue (They said they already called for rescuers), and I saw them setting up a hose pero masyadong maikli ang hose at may isang timba lang silang pinupunuan ng tubig (but since the hose was too short, they were just filling up a bucket with water.). There was another team of witnesses who were there (more on their statements later),” Castillo said.
“It was saddening ‘cause kung hindi pa kami bumaba at nag-command sa mga tao, parang walang kikilos (If we had not gotten off our car and commanded people, then no one would have moved). But then I saw a group of men sa may gilid ng (beside) Starbucks setting up a hose (this one mahaba na pero maliit, yung pandilig lang ng halaman) (this one was longer but it was small, used for watering plants). I shouted, ‘Kuya, double time tayo!’” she added.
Contrary to the statements of Tagaytay police, Castillo said they have been trying to extinguish the fire for minutes but no rescue efforts from authorities immediately came.
“This was the most disappointing case I have seen so far [because] we tried to help (kaming mga passersby pa, wala talagang pulis sa area–dumating man sila, malaki na yung apoy so hindi IMMEDIATE RESPONSE yun tulad ng nasa balita.) And disturbing [because] in the end, wala kaming nagawa. Mahirap rin kalaban ang apoy, mahirap kalaban ang oras, mahirap kalaban ang mabagal na rescue,” she said.
(This was the most disappointing case I have seen so far because we tried to help, mere passersby, there were no policemen in the area–even if they had arrived, the fire was already too big, that was immediate response like what is said in the news. And it was disturbing because, in the end, we couldn’t do anything. Fighting fire is difficult, time is hard to race against, it is hard to be up against slow-moving rescue.)
READ: 1 victim in Tagytay City car crash identified
Citing a fellow witness, Castillo said a police was present right after the accident but supposedly left the scene to personally report what happened to his colleagues.
“Wala pang apoy ‘yung kotse noong bumangga at may pulis na pero nilayasan. Why? Because (nadulas ‘yung pulis na) personal pa silang nag-report sa mga kasama nila.) They could’ve called for more people/resources to help mula noong umapoy. Sana naagapan pa,” Castillo said.
(The car wasn’t on fire yet when it crashed and there was police present, and yet he fled. Why? Because the police inadvertently revealed that he would have to personally report [the incident]. They could have called for more people/resources to help since the fire started. It could have been averted.)
“We have been reading news articles about the incident, and saw discrepancies from the real story. So ano ang ipinaglalaban ng post na ito? Shout-out sa mga pulis na nagsabing IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. Hiyang-hiya po ako sa pagka-immediate ng pag-iwan niyo sa mga biktima. May mga barangay officials raw na RUMESPONDE. Paki-clarify po ang part na ito dahil wala naman yata kaming nakasamang barangay officials, unless yung Team Hose mula sa gilid ng Starbucks ay sila. Pero I doubt it (I think they were from Discovery Suites),” she added.
(We have been reading news articles about the incident, and saw discrepancies from the real story. So, what are we trying to prove with this post? Shout-out to the police who said there was immediate response. I am embarrassed with how quickly you neglected the victims. Apparently, there were barangay officials who responded. Please clarify this part because we were not joined by any barangay official, unless they were “Team Hose” from beside Starbucks. But I doubt it, I think they were from Discovery Suites.)
The fatalities, all minors, were identified as graduating junior high school students without driving licenses. Several witnesses were quoted as saying that the car was seen speeding along Barangay San Jose at around 2:44 a.m. before the crash. CDG