LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – After two days of search and rescue operations, the Cordillera Canine (K9) SAR team successfully located the deceased body of a farmer at the forestry area of the Benguet State University here.
A 26 year-old farmer named Javier Hidalgo, a resident of Tebteb, Balili in La Trinidad, was reported missing since August 3. He was last seen at Mount Kalugong wearing a brown shirt, faded jeans, and slippers and carrying a brown backpack. The retrieved body during the operations was identified to be Javier Hidalgo.
According to the report, Hidalgo’s mother received text messages from his son saying that he was at Mount Kalugong and was feeling dizzy. He had with him a cellphone and cash apparently given by his mother before he was last seen. The parents of Hidalgo confessed that he was suffering from depression and was often leaving their home for the last few months.
After almost a year of training, the capacity of the Cordillera K9 SAR team was put to test when they were mobilized to assist the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of La Trinidad to search for the missing farmer.
On August 7, the team started the search and rescue operations and deployed nine (9) dogs with handlers and spotters from the Police Regional Office Cordillera, Regional Public Safety Battalion, Baguio City Police Office and private volunteers. The Tactical Operations Group 1 of the Philippine Air Force under the leadership of LTC Onorlie Brillantes and the Office of Civil Defense Cordillera helped coordinate the process.
After the successful operations, the case was turned over to La Trinidad Municipal Police Station and PROCOR SOCO for processing and proper disposition.
By Franzes Ivy Carasi