BACOLOD CITY – A 19-year-old man who was about to get married and two teenagers drowned in Negros Occidental during the Holy Week.
In Murcia, a man and a teenager drowned in a river in Purok Tan-ag, Barangay Damsite, on Black Saturday.
Police Lt. Frankie Paciente, Murcia deputy chief of police, identified the victims as Jose Jerry Pamaloan, 19, of Barangay Taculing here and the 14-year-old younger sister of his girlfriend whose name was withheld for being a minor.
Paciente said the two victims went swimming with their other companions when the minor slipped and was swept by the strong river current, prompting Pamaloan to rescue her.
However, Pamaloan was also swept by the strong river current, until their bodies were later found in tunnels towards the irrigation, Paciente said.
Paciente said that Pamaloan was about to get married next month with the minor’s sister.
Paciente said they told other people to go home after the incident because it was not advisable to swim at the river because of a dam, which has strong water current.
Both victims were declared dead on arrival in a hospital.
In Sipalay City, Fedelito Ayencia, 37, of Barangay San Jose, also drowned at the waters off Barangay Canturay on Maundy Thursday, after he slipped from the rock, where he was standing while fishing.
According to Capt. Ludovico Librilla Jr., head of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Negros Occidental, the victim tried to swim back to the shore but he suddenly had leg cramps.
Unable to swim properly, he slowly sunk into the water, and his body was later retrieved by rescuers.
Librilla said that he already directed all PCG sub-stations in the province to conduct coastal security patrol in their respective areas, in anticipation of the influx of beach goers on Easter Sunday, despite some local government units (LGUs) had issued Executive Orders to temporarily suspend operations of some beach resorts.