Bahinting burial in Ginatilan today

CEBU, Philippines - The body of Capt. Jessup Bahinting was brought yesterday to Ginatilan where he will be laid to his final resting place this afternoon at a private cemetery in Barangay Poblacion.

A funeral hearse bringing Bahinting’s remains led the convoy for an almost four-hour drive from St. Peter Memorial Homes in Cebu City to Ginatilan, his wife’s hometown.

At least eight private cars and four Ceres buses made up the convoy.

The body of his co-pilot Kshitiz Chand was also flown home to Kathmandu, Nepal four hours ahead of Bahinting’s.

Bahinting’s remains were not taken out of the funeral homes until his elder sister, Jess Bahinting, arrived from the United States. The family had been waiting for her arrival before the body was brought to Ginatilan.

The convoy arrived in Ginatilan at 3:30 pm. His remains were placed at a function room of the family’s beach resort for a night wake vigil.

The body will be laid to rest at 3:00 pm today at the Ginatilan cemetery situated in Barangay Poblacion. Relatives, friends, and neighbors of the family were in tears as they gathered at the resort waiting for the body to arrive.

Bernabela Matas, 76, Bahinting’s sister-in-law, told The FREEMAN that the late pilot was one of the most kind-hearted persons she knew and who has done good things to her family and to the community.

”He has a selfless heart in helping other people who are in need,” Matas said.

Bahinting’s first cousin, Jesus Larot, 61, came to Ginatilan all the way from Larena, Siquijor to pay his last respect.

Larot said Bahinting was a great loss to them for he has helped them when they needed either financial or moral support.

Larot, a childhood friend of Bahinting, shared how the late captain struggled to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot even if it means leaving Leyte, Bahinting’s native province.

Bahinting left Leyte and went to Davao where he started his dream. His study was sponsored by a foreigner friend who was a member of the Grace Communion International.

“Siya ang tao nga mutabang sa kadtong naay paningkamot sa kaugali-ngon (He is the type of person who will help those who strive for himself),” he said.

A necrological service was held last night and another one will be held at 2 pm today before Bahinting will be finally laid to rest.

The arrival of Bahin-ting’s body also drove kibitzers from nearby towns to see the captain. Rostica Sasan, 59, from Samboan town went to Ginatilan out of curiosity.

She said the death of the “rich” man is different from those who are “poor.”

“Nianhi lang gyud ko aron mutan-aw kung unsa ang mamatay nga datu sa mamatay nga pobre kay ang pobre igo ra man mailhan ug manulis unya ma-media (I purposely come to witness how is it different for a rich man to die from the poor ones because a poor man will be known only in his death if he commits a crime),” Sasan said.

Chand’s body, on the other hand, was flown from Mactan Cebu International Airport via a Philippine Airlines flight to Manila at 11:30 am yesterday. From Manila, the remains will have a brief stop in Thailand before it will finally reach Nepal.

Meanwhile, Michelle Ferol, Aviatour human resources manager, said they will make an appeal before the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to exclude Aviatour’s flying school or pilot training from the suspension.

Ferol said CAAP ordered the suspension of the whole Aviatour services, including its air taxi, aircraft sales and maintenance services, and the flying school.

“Mag-aapila kami sa CAAP na huwag lang i-include ang flying school sa suspension kasi over 100 students ang maapektuhan,” Ferol said.

For the meantime, Fe-rol said the students understand the situation of the school and will wait until CAAP lifts the suspension.—/FPL (FREEMAN)