Salceda mom dies at height of storm

LEGAZPI CITY – The mother of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda died yesterday morning at a local hospital here, becoming one of the victims of the fury of tropical storm “Juaning.”

Cielo Sarte Salceda, 89, had a bad fall in the family restroom at past midnight as floodwaters inundated most homes and a blackout engulfed Polangui town due to rains spawned by Juaning.

She was carried by her husband Jesus Salceda Sr. to a waiting ambulance for a 44-minute drive from their residence at Centro Occidental in Polangui to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH).

But the ambulance could not cross the flooded portion of the national road at Barangay Culiat in Daraga on the way to the hospital.

It took more than an  hour before an Army M-35 truck with rescuers on board ferried the victim to another waiting ambulance. Dr. Eric Rabulan of the Albay Health Emergency Management attended to Mrs. Salceda en route to BRTTH.

She died at the intensive care unit at about 6:56 a.m.

“I am poor because I don’t even have a generator inside the house,” said Governor Salceda, who wants the wake as simple as possible because the province is under a state of calamity.

Cedric Daep, head of the Albay Provincial Security and Emergency Management Office who arrived at the governor’s residence in Polangui, said they had just finished cleaning and preparing the house for the traditional wake.

“Today is also the death anniversary of Rey Salceda, the brother of governor Salceda,” Daep told The STAR during an interview at his office yesterday afternoon.

The eldest of the Salceda siblings is Maria Annie, a doctor in the US. The youngest is Jesus Jr., vice mayor of Polangui.

The mother of Governor Salceda was a retired public school principal  and president of a woman’s organization in Polangui town.

At Malacañang, President Aquino yesterday extended his condolences to Salceda, a former classmate at the Ateneo.

“I extended my condolences to him. Handling his community and also his loss this time, I think we have to give him a little time to be able to talk,” the President said. – Delon Porcalla