Iran envoy thanks officials, rescuers

CEBU, Philippines - The ambassador of Iran to the Philippines thanked some officials in Cebu for taking care of his 20 compatriots who died in last Sunday’s tragedy in Balamban town. The bodies are to be repatriated on Saturday.

Ali Rozbehani said the government and other officials did a complete coordination with them right after the incident up to the repatriation of the bodies.

Rozbehani, in an interview with The FREEMAN, however, said that he is requesting the Philippine government to conduct a thorough investigation on the incident.

Asked if there were other things he would have wanted the government to do about the incident, Rozbehani said, “They already did their complete coordination. For now, we want to request the government to do their best in the investigation as to what caused the accident and give a full report to us.”

The ambassador thanked the rescue teams, Police Regional Office-7 Director Lani-O Nerez for supervising the retrieval operation, the Gullas hospital, Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay, and Dr. Wyben Briones of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

He also thanked Cebu City mayor-elect Michael Rama; Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal, Jr., president of the Cebu Doctors University where some of the victims took their medical courses; Dr. Enrico Gruet of CDU College of Medicine; and the doctors, specialists, and staff members of Cebu Doctors Hospital.

Rozbehani and his fellow Iranian officials personally saw to the transport of the bodies from the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Nivel Hills up to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport where a chartered plane, a Boeing 747, was set to bring the bodies to Iran.

The flight will take about 10 hours.

Rozbehani said that upon arrival at the airport in their country, the cadavers will be turned over to their respective families. The victims live in separate cities in Iran.

Dr. Gholamreza Heidari, Executive Advisor to Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education, said that about four to five of the 25 injured Iranians, who are now in stable condition, would also go with them back to Iran.

He added that those who are going with them are medical students here in Cebu City and will return later to pursue their studies.

Despite the incident, the Iranian official said they will still encourage their constituents to go here to study and will not restrict them from traveling within the Philippines.

“Things happen. We don’t blame anyone,” Heidari said.

He said that they also sympathized for the death of Jaime Batoon, the driver and owner of the JD tourist bus and the sole Filipino who died along with the 20 Iranians.

Heidari added that this incident has been the most tragic for their countrymen in the Philippines, but they have already accepted it as a tragedy.

He said that Dr. Vahid Dastjerdi, the Minister of Health and Medical Education in Iran, also thanked the officials for taking care of their fellow Iranians.

Asked about his opinion on the move of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board in suspending the other cars for rent owned by JD tourist bus, Heidari said it is in line of the regulation of the Filipino government.

Rozbehani also agreed with the LTFRB’s move, including another Iranian official, who declined to give his name, saying that it is a “very good measure the LTFRB has done.”

Heidari said they would do the same if the accident happened in their country and if the owner of the bus is also an Iranian.

It has not yet been resolved as to how many passengers were really on the bus when the accident happened, but Heidari, nevertheless, said they will continue coordinating with the Cebu government regarding the matter to also assist the other potential Iranian victims.

The Iran government shouldered all the hospital expenses, including the bills in the repatriation of the bodies, Heidari said.

Batoon was driving his bus with plate numbers GWZ-666 when it plunged into a ravine while he was maneuvering a curve in Barangay Cansomoroy, Balamban past 10 am last Sunday, killing him and the 20 Iranians. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)