A bicycle-riding 23-year-old male nurse was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Ermita, Manila Sunday evening.
Police identified the victim as Renz Jayson Perez of Barangay 14, Tondo, Manila.
With the current limitation on mass transport amid the general community quarantine (GCQ), Perez has been using a newly-purchased mountain bike to get to work.
A witness told police that he was riding his motorcycle along Padre Burgos Avenue in Manila at around 7 p.m. Sunday when he saw the victim at the corner of Maria Orosa Street rolling on the street after reportedly being hit by a pick-up truck that sped off towards Delpan Bridge.
Perez was rushed by responders of the Philippine Red Cross to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) but was pronounced dead on arrival at around 8:40 p.m.
Authorities and the victim's family are appealing to witnesses to come forward to help police probe the incident.
In a statement released Tuesday, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital (JJASGH) mourned the passing of Perez, its former employee.
Perez, a nursing graduate of the Universidad de Manila, worked at JJASGH from January to June 2020. He also worked as an online seller so he can earn more to support his family.
"Nagsilbi siya ng buong tapang at pagmamahal sa mga pasyente at patuloy siyang nag-aruga sa mga ito sa panahon ng COVID-19 bilang isang frontliner (He served his patients with courage and love and he continued to care for them in the time of the coronavirus disease-2019 as a frontliner)," the hospital's statement read.
"Isa siyang mapagmahal na anak, kapatid, katrabaho at kaibigan (He is a loving son, brother, co-worker, and friend)," it added. "Hangad naming lahat na nawa'y makamit mo ang hustisya (We all hope that you get the justice you deserve)."