ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 07 March) — Twenty soldiers and paramilitary elements on board an Army truck were rushed to hospitals when their truck fell into a ravine in the hinterlands of Barangay Lanipao at around 6 p.m. Friday.
One of the soldiers, 30-year old Corporal Leandro Gabriel de Asis of the 41st Mechanized Company of the Mechanized Infantry Battalion based in Rogongon, was declared in critical condition upon arrival at the hospital but died that night, Lt. Col. Domingo Dulay, Jr., commanding officer of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army said.
Four others have been discharged from the hospital.
Dulay said heavy downpour in the afternoon brought about by a developing low pressure area made the road slippery.
“Our military vehicle was used to rescue and pull out other vehicles from Kalilangan that were stuck due to heavy downpour and muddy road condition but unfortunately after the retrieval of vehicles, the army truck fell into a ravine,” he said.
The army truck carried a platoon size of troops who secured and supported the City Hall-initiated People’s Day in the remote village of Kalilangan, with the city government and various agencies bringing development initiatives.
Five of those injured were members of the Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA).
The People’s Day led by Mayor Celso Regencia, city officials, local and national line agencies was a city government led activity, with convergence efforts for barangays Kalilangan ang Panoroganan.
Kalilangan village chief Alimoding Mansumayan in an interview earlier this week, said they were looking forward the to the city government’s response on their need for electricity water and better road. (Richel V. Umel / MindaNews)