Abrios survived ‘Sendong’ but not Freddie’s truck

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE Abrios survived the floodwaters spawned by Typhoon Sendong in their village in 2011 but not drunken truck driver Freddie Talisayan who rammed them on the highway in Cugman on Sunday night.

The eldest of the siblings, Kenneth, was just five years old while the youngest Sophia was still an infant when natural disaster struck and flattened their community Isla Bugnaw in Barangay Consolacion in Decmber 2011.

The 10-year old Kenneth and Sophia, 5, died on the spot together with their sister Stephanie Nicole, 8, after the motorcycle being driven by their father Ronnie was plowed by the six-wheel truck driven by Talisayan on the highway in Zone 1, Cugman.

Ronnie, 46, died of multiple injuries later in the emergency room of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Abrio’s brother Roberto said his family could not describe the anguish they are feeling because of the loss.

He said Ronnie, who worked in a security group for Banco de Oro in Lapasan, and his family had picked up the pieces after the Sendong devastation and were moving on.

“Mi-survive sila sa baha adtong  bagyong Sendong pero patay gyud intawon sila sa traffic accident,”  Roberto told the Gold Star Daily.

Abrio and her children were heading home after bringing his common law wife Remedios Miso to the Del Monte Philippines cannery in Bugo where she reported for night shift duty when Talisayan’s speeding truck rammed them on the highway.

“Pagbalik nila gikan sa Bugo, nahitabo dayon nga  gibangga-an sila diha sa Cugman. Nahurot  gyud intawon sila pagkamatay,” Roberto said.

Yesterday, police said they found text messages in a cellphone that suggest that the Cugman highway deaths were not accidental, and that it was a case of road rage.

The Abrios were not the only one killed by Talisayan’s truck. The truck also killed Mae Bonior, 17, Vanessa Tadlas, 29, and Vevine Nacaya, 23.

One of them, Bonior, was an 11th grader at the Cagayan de Oro College-Phinma who had an ambition to finish her studies so that she and her family could have a brighter future, according to her cousin.

Bonior was also a former beauty queen in her village in Baungon, Bukidnon.

“Former Miss Lingating ni siya, ug nangandoy intawon nga makahuman pag-eskuwela, pero  walay suwerti kay wala na man siya,” said the cousin.

Talisayan’s elder brother Felix begged the forgiveness of the families of the seven people who died in Cugman on Palm Sunday.

He said he was willing to testify in court against his younger brother.

“Ako na siyang gibadlong nga maghinay kay naka-inom siya, pero wala ma  siya magpato-o. Kadtong mga namatyan nga pamilya,  mangayo lang kog pasaylo sa gibuhat sa akong igso-on,” said Felix who was also detained and charged by the police before the City Prosecutor’s Office as an accomplice.

The Talisayan siblings’ 60-year old mother Dominga rushed to the Cugman police station from Davao del Norte where she poured her heart out.

In tears, Dominga told her son: “Na-unsa man intawon ka Dong, oy? Dili ba kanunay man ko nagpahinomdom nimo nga dili lagi ka mag-drive basta maka-inom?”

She said she had no money but she found a way to come to the city from their town “kay na-shock ko sa pagkahibalo nako sa nahitabo nila.”

Talisayan’s common law wife Mila Maglacion, 31, of Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental, broke into tears, too.

“Unsa may nahitabo nimo?  Gagmay pa ra ba kaayo ang atong  mga anak,” Maglacion told Talisayan.

Talisayan and Maglacion have three children with ages ranging from four years, eight years and 11 years.