Buendia bus blast fatalities: Victims of a senseless tragedy
The families of the five fatalities in Tuesdayâs bus explosion in Makati recounted the heart-rending stories of their loved ones in a report aired Wednesday evening by GMA Newsâ 24 Oras. Imelda De Ocampo, whose 22-year-old daughter Irish Teñola was killed in the blast, said her daughter worked as a call center agent and was the familyâs breadwinner.
Irish would usually take a breather in her office after her shift. On the day of the blast, however, she left her office early to run errands for her mother. Imelda said her daughter also took care of sending her siblings to school. Venting her rage on the perpetrators, she said, âSinira nâyo ang pangarap ng anak ko [You put an end to my daughterâs dreams]." Gerry Marino also mourned the death of his father, Salustiano, with whom he was even exchanging text messages two hours before the bus explosion. Gerry made a phone call to his father at past two in the afternoon â not expecting his call would be answered by hospital staff. âPatay na daw si Papa [They told me Papa was dead]," Gerry recounted how he received the news. âHindi talaga ako maniwala. Kasi ang iniisip ko, nagbibiyahe ang Papa ko [I really couldnât believe it because all the while, I thought he was on the road]."
The families of two victims, Johanson âJay" Reyes and his girlfriend Kristel Ausena, meanwhile demanded justice for the coupleâs tragic end. Jay and Kristel were planning to apply for a job together yesterday, after Jay finished course in culinary arts. Jay was also supposed to send his youngest sibling to school. âLahat ng pangarap niya, nawala [All his dreams faded away]," his mother Aile said. âHindi ko matanggap na wala ka na [I cannot accept that you are gone]," Kristelâs father Wilson said. âI love you, anak [child]." Meanwhile, relatives of the fatalities and other injured victims asked government to ensure justice for their loved ones. President Benigno Aquino III had visited the victims at the St. Luke's and Ospital ng Makati Tuesday night and assured them government will shoulder their hospital expenses and run after the perpetrators. (See: Bus blast death toll now 5; victims' kin cry out for justice)âPaterno Esmaquel II/JV, GMANews.TV