BONTOC, Mountain Province – An elementary teacher died while her colleague sustained multiple injuries when boulders of rock hit the van they were riding in Sitio Pinap-ayew, Barangay Guina-ang, Bontoc, Mountain Province early morning of July 18, 2018.
The fatality was Luisa F. Pelew, 55 years old, married, a teacher in Guina-ang Elementary School and a resident of Poblacion, Bontoc, Mountain Province. The injured victim is Frauline P. Magwa, 29 years old, a teacher in the same school and a resident of Barangay Bontoc Ili, Bontoc.
The van bearing plate number XAM 511, colored blue-green is owned and driven by former Bontoc Councilor John Tay-og Pelew, 59 years old, married and a resident of Poblacion, Bontoc, Mountain Province who was to ferry his wife Luisa and his wife’s co –teacher Magwa to Guina-ang Elementary School where they are both teaching.
According to Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Johanna F. Padaen, at 6:45 in the morning of July 18, their office received a call from PSI Faith Ayan Igualdo, the Chief of Police of Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS) informing her of the incident.
As response, the MDRRMO immediately coordinated with the Bontoc Emergency Response Team (BERT) and Bontoc General Hospital.
Based on the police report obtained by the MDRRMO; personnel of the Bontoc MPS, BERT, CAA Patrol Base assigned in Guina-ang and barangay officials immediately responded to the site and came upon a van covered with boulders of rock.
The response team extricated the passengers trapped inside the vehicle and were immediately brought to Bontoc General Hospital by Ninian Langagan, a barangay official of Guina-ang, who happened to pass by at the time of incident.
Police reports further stated that Luisa Pelew was declared dead on arrival by her attending physician while Magwa who sustained multiple injuries is recovering at the Bontoc General Hospital as of this writing. John T. Pelew was unharmed.
By Alpine L. Killa, Bontoc
