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A man who helped rescue neighbors from drowning in a Quezon City river was found dead three days later, with authorities saying he also appeared to have drowned.
In a “24 Oras” report from James Agustin on Friday, authorities retrieved the body of 41-year-old Jerland Enriquez from the San Francisco River in Barangay Damayan. He was seen by a resident in the area.
“Ito naman ay kaagad na rumespondehan ng aming mga BPSO (Barangay Public Safety Officer) at nung nalaman nila, na-validate nila na ito ay isang tao nga, agad-agad naman sila na humingi ng tulong sa ating kapulisan,” Barangay Damayan chairperson Floride Casaje said.
(Our BPSO immediately responded and once they validated that this was a person, they asked for help from the police.)
The victim’s kin has been looking for him for three days after he went missing during the onslaught of heavy rains.
Before drowning, Enriquez was able to save some of his neighbors.
According to Casaje, Enriquez’s house had been flooded. But while it was flooding, he saw three people being swept away by the water.
Jean Rose Reyes and her two children had been neighbors with Enriquez for several years. Now, she saw him as a hero.
“Sobrang salamat, Kuya Jerland, kung naririnig mo kami ngayon, lahat kami dito, nami-miss ka namin… hindi ko alam kung paano sasabihin yung salamat, pero salamat talaga. Sinakripisyo mo yung sarili mo para maligtas lang kami dito,” Reyes said.
(Thank you so much, Kuya Jerland, if you can hear us now, all of us here, we miss you… I do not know how to say thank you, but thank you, really. You sacrificed yourself to save us here.)
Reyes recounted how water rushed into their house and pushed it towards the creek. Some of the houses were falling over the creek, while others were falling on top of their own home.
“Habang nalulunod kami, nakukuryente kami. Hindi ko nga alam noon kung mabubuhay kami kasi nadadaganan na kami ng mga kahoy… Wala na akong hangin na nakukuha. Nakakainom na rin ako ng tubig. Nung nakuha na yung dalawang anak ko, nakasabit pa ako sa balete doon,” Reyes said.
(While we were drowning, we were getting electrocuted. I do not know how we survived because we were getting trampled on by wood… I was unable to get any air and I was already swallowing water. When my two kids were rescued, I was still hanging onto the balete.)
Enriquez’s kin found it hard to accept his death.
“Sir, masyado pong masakit sir sa pamilya namin na namatay ‘yung kapatid namin. Umiiyak po sila, ‘yung anak. Sobrang lungkot po ang nangyari sa aming lahat…mabait po talaga ‘yang kapatid ko na ‘yan. Matulungin po talaga ‘yan. Kapag nakakakita ng bata ‘yan pinapakain niya kahit sino pong tao pinakakain niya. Sobrang po ng bait nyan,” said Alexander Enriquez, the victim’s brother.
(Sir, it hurts too much for our family that our brother died. They are crying, his children. What happened to us all is so sad,… he was so kind, my brother. He was really helpful. When he sees a kid, he feeds them, he will feed anyone. He was so kind.) —Jean Mangaluz/LDF, GMA News
