Tagaytay accident that killed 6 minors caused by slow emergency response?

TAGAYTAY – Better response from the rescue teams could have saved the lives of six high school students involved in the tragic Tagaytay accident Sunday morning, witnesses claim.

According to reports, a witness saw the victims, high school students aged 15-17, coming out of a convenience store in Tagaytay City before speeding away in a red Toyota Vios with plate number AHA-5287.

The vehicle crashed into the concrete barrier and trees along the Tagaytay-Calamba Road in Barangay San Jose.

Earlier reports by The Standard claimed that the victims were still alive and pleading for help when responding village officials arrived. They “tried to put out the fire but the car exploded,” says the report.

Witnesses, however, claim that the victims could have been saved. They also refuted claims that the car exploded, saying it only caught fire.

According to a social media post by Princess Domingo, police arrived at the scene within 5 minutes, but were unable to rescue the victims.

“5mins palang andun na mga police akala ko may magagawa sila bago palang magkaapoy at masunog yung car” [the police arrived after 5 minutes, I thought they could do something before the car burst into flames and started burning down], writes Princess.

Princess adds, saying “hndi nila nagawang irescue yung mga victim” [they were unable to rescue the victim]

“kung maaga lang ang rescue siguro may nabuhay pa sa mga passengers sana sa mga rescue sa pinas agad dumating hindi po police lang” [if only rescue arrived earlier the passengers may have survived, I hope rescue in the Philippines could respond earlier not just police], she laments.

Another witness, Den Castillo, confirms the story, saying “this scenario got us alarmed because NO ONE WAS IN THE AREA TRYING TO AT LEAST EASE OUT THE FIRE.”

“Ang tagal ng rescue ilang minutes na kaming nagaapula ng apoy wala parin.” [The rescue took too long we have been trying to douse the flames for minutes but they still did not arrive], she adds.

Castillo narrates how they tried to save one of the victims, but the failed because the fire started to grow.

“This was the most disappointing case I have seen so far cos we tried to help (kaming mga passerbys pa, wala talagang pulis sa area) [it was just us passersby, because there were no police in the area]” she complains.

Castillo adds, saying “Dumating man sila malaki na yung apoy so hindi IMMEDIATE RESPONSE yun tulad ng nasa balita.” [When they arrived the fire had already grown so it’s not IMMEDIATE response unlike earlier reports.]

She also refutes earlier reports that the car exploded. She writes, “HINDI SUMABOG YUNG KOTSE, UMAPOY LANG” [THE CAR WAS ON FIRE BUT IT NEVER EXPLODED]

The experience left her traumatized, helpless and unable to save a dying victim.

“May I just say that it is traumatizing to see someone alive, moving (and shouting as we were told), and suddenly taken away by the fire.” she laments.

Den Castillo writes:

We were in Tagaytay last 17 January 2016, last stop namin was in Starbucks (Leslies) at around 2:50 am when we were heading back to Manila, we passed by Starbucks Highway (yung may matarik na daan), we noticed a car burning on the side of the road which happened to crash on a tree. Walang tao sa daan so mapapansin talaga. Amusing at first dahil parang sa pelikula until my friends and siblings (we were six in total) noticed that there was someone inside the car. May tao pa sa loob ng umaapoy na kotse and she was still trying to move her head out of the window. And this scenario got us alarmed because NO ONE WAS IN THE AREA TRYING TO AT LEAST EASE OUT THE FIRE. Bumaba kami agad and asked people (2 men) from outside of Discovery Suite for help, nakatawag na raw ng rescue and I saw them setting up a hose pero masyadong maikli ang hose at may isang timba lang silang pinupunuan ng tubig. There was another team of witnesses who were there (more on their statements later). It was saddening cos kung hindi pa kami bumaba at nagcommand sa mga tao parang walang kikilos, but then I saw a group of men sa may gilid ng Starbucks setting up a hose (this one mahaba na pero maliit, yung pandilig lang ng halaman) I shouted, “Kuya, double time tayo!”so I went down to ask for a fire extinguisher from Starbucks, and they told me “UBOS NA PO”. That’s the time nakaset up na yung hose so hinatak na namin pataas and started to ease out the fire. Medyo mahina yung tubig from the hose at may ilan ilang butas pa. I asked for a sand box/bag, wala raw silang ganun. Pero continuous yung pagigib ng tubig sa timba at may isang lalaki (from the other team of witnesses) na nakakuha ng fire extinguisher pero hindi na kinaya dahil malaki na at that point yung apoy. Since then lang dumami yung taong nasa palagid and most were like “wala na yan, patay na yan.” And we were “NOOOOO!! GUMAGALAW PA. SUMISIGAW PA DAW KANINA. GAWA NG PARAAN”. Wala na kaming ibang nakitang tao sa loob ng kotse kundi yung babaeng sinusubukang ilabas yung ulo sa bintana (katabi sya ng driver).

Ang tagal ng rescue ilang minutes na kaming nagaapula ng apoy wala parin. Di namin maalis yung babae (although sya rin yung main na binubuhusan ng tubig) but we really want to kaso sobrang laki narin ng apoy at habang tumatagal, kinakain na ng apoy yung buong kotse. I got really disappointed by this because in the end, we were helpless as the people inside.

And what’s more disappointing are the statements we got from the other team of witnesses (they were 3 in total):

1. OVERSPEEDING NGA RAW. WALA PANG APOY YUNG KOTSE NOONG BUMANGGA (see the photo below as captured by another witness) AT MAY PULIS NA PERO NILAYASAN. Why? Because (NADULAS YUNG PULIS NA) PERSONAL PA SILANG NAGREPORT SA MGA KASAMA NILA. (BAKIT KELANGAN PERSONAL? INIWAN NILA YUNG ACCIDENT SCENE, NAKAMOBILE SILA. WALA MAN LANG RADYO? CELLPHONE?) THEY COULD’VE CALLED FOR MORE PEOPLE/RESOURCES TO HELP MULA NOONG UMAPOY. SANA NAAGAPAN PA.

2. ONE MEMBER OF THE WITNESSES IS A NURSE. HINDI NILA INALISAN YUNG ACCIDENT SCENE KAYA PAGDATING NAMIN DOON, ANDUN NA SILA. We were told that SHE TRIED TO HELP THE VICTIM (THE GIRL AT LEAST) KASI NARINIG PA NILANG SUMISIGAW AT HUMIHINGI NG TULONG BUT THE PEOPLE NA NAKIKIUSYOSO AT THAT TIME, MOBBED HER AND SAID “MAGANTAY NG AUTHORITY” She felt wala siyang laban kaya dinismiss niya yung thought tsaka nahirapan na silang buksan yung pinto until ayun, simula nang umapoy. Sadly, yung mga usyosong yun, umalis rin nung umapoy na yung kotse. Napulsuhan niya pa yung driver, wala na raw. We weren’t informed na 6 yung nasa loob, ang alam lang namin 2. Dismayadong dismayado si Ate Nurse (at kami rin) dahil ang tagal daw talaga ng response team. Dumating sila ng “MERON PA (BUHAY AT PAGASA)”, umuwi kaming lahat ng “WALA NA”.

This was the most disappointing case I have seen so far cos we tried to help (kaming mga passerbys pa, wala talagang pulis sa area. Dumating man sila malaki na yung apoy so hindi IMMEDIATE RESPONSE yun tulad ng nasa balita.) And disturbing case I have seen cos in the end, wala kaming nagawa. Mahirap rin kalaban ang apoy, mahirap kalaban ang oras, mahirap kalaban ang mabagal na rescue. May I just say that it is traumatizing to see someone alive, moving (and shouting as we were told), and suddenly taken away by the fire. Kung sa simpleng French fries nga na nahulog sa tray nakakapanghinayang hindi isalba, ito pa kaya. BUHAY ITO NG TAO. Mabigat sobrang bigat.

Our hearts are still in deep sorrow and we extend our condolences to the family of the six. And I hope that this truth will reach you.

We have been reading news articles about the incident and saw discrepancies from the real story. So ano ang ipinaglalaban ng post na ito?

Shoutout sa mga pulis na nagsabing IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. Hiyang hiya po ako sa pagkaimmediate ng pagiwan niyo sa mga biktima. May mga baranggay officials raw na RUMESPONDE. Pakiclarify po ang part na ito dahil wala naman yata kaming nakasamang baranggay officials unless yung Team Hose mula sa gilid ng Starbucks ay sila. Pero I doubt it, i think they were from Discovery Suites. Sa mga mob na against kay Ate Nurse, may you sleep well every night. NAKALIGTAS PA SANA KAYO NG BUHAY NG TAO. Di ko masisi yung rescuers COS THEY MIGHT DID THEIR BEST BUT still, more than 30 minutes na ganun na ang eksena wala paring tulong. Kung malayo ang pinanggalingan, e sana magawaan ng paraan ito sa susunod since mahirap nga talaga magkaron ng aksidente sa highway. Pero madaling araw yun, wala namang traffic so. HINDI SUMABOG YUNG KOTSE, UMAPOY LANG (KUNG SUMABOG YON, DI KO NA NAPOST ITO). Wag tayong magpabango sa media, walang makakaamoy nyan. Aalingasaw ang katotohanan. AND UNDOUBTEDLY, THE WORST PART WAS, THE GIRL WAS ALIVE.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THEIR SOULS. GOD BLESS EVERYONE, MAG-INGAT SA DAAN.

Princess Domingo writes:

The victims, four men and two women, were high school students aged 15-17 years old.

A report by The Philippine Star identified  one of the victims as Ronalyn Bautista, 17, of Kawit, Cavite based on a recovered ID.

The other victims were identified as Jamie Gubaton-Garcia, 16, of Kawit, Cavite, John Paul Tena, 15, and John Rosel Garcia of Buhay na Tubig, Imus, Cavite.

The authorities are still working on identifying the two remaining victims.