Last miner rescued, surrenders to cops

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The last of the 16 miners trapped in a flooded gold mine who was rescued after 11 days but went into hiding voluntarily surrendered to the Cordillera police yesterday.

Joseph Anayasan, 32, who was believed to be hiding to avoid a standing warrant for his arrest on two charges of robbery with violence filed before Branch 6 of the Baguio City Regional Trial Court in 2002, surrendered to Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin yesterday morning at Camp Dangwa here.

He is suspected to have slipped away from authorities with the help of relatives.

Benguet police director Senior Superintendent Danilo Pelisco said Anayasan was “fetched” by police operatives from his relatives in Barangay Pinsao Proper in Baguio City.

The miner’s surrender was kept under wraps until indigenous rites were performed by his relatives and fellow tribal folk.

George Baywong, an officer of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Cordillera office who supervised the rescue, said Anayasan was pulled out of the mine here around nightfall Friday.

“It was miraculous,” he said of the miner’s survival.

Baywong said Anayasan’s “hard life” and physical fitness contributed to his survival.

Anayasan’s relatives avoided journalists after the successful rescue, a complete turnaround from Wednesday’s show of force at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center’s emergency room where his elder brother Mario was rushed after being rescued at shaft 114, also in level 700.

“All his relatives, who together with rescuers had been at the portal of level 700 since day one of the rescue operations, were gone too,” said Paeng Valencia, chief of Rescue 911 based at the emergency section of BGHMC.

Anayasan was reportedly brought by relatives to an undisclosed hospital after local miners officially terminated the rescue mission Thursday night.

With Anayasan’s rescue, officials placed the final death toll in the mine accident at six. 

The fatalities were identified as Marvin Himmayod, Juan Himmayod, Rudy Himmayod, Vincent Himmayod, Jojo Himmayod, and Joel Bulga.

Rescued earlier on separate days were Gilbert Nattem, Rudy Boling Jr., Mario Anayasan, Ngitit Pagulayan, Jose Panio Jr., Jerry Monyobda, Jason Himmayod, Robert Buhway, and Gary Gano.

Anayasan’s older brother Mario was discharged from the BGHMC Friday afternoon together with Nattem and Boling. Gano was released two hours earlier.

Only Jason Himmayod and Vincent Buhway are still confined at the BGHMC. – With AP