3 drown in Manila floodwaters

MANILA, Philippines - Three persons drowned in Manila’s floodwaters and waterways over the past three days.

The latest victim, Edgardo Garcia, 68, was found floating in the Sunog-Apog waterway in Gagalangin, Tondo at around 11:50 a.m. yesterday.

Police Officer 3 Amelito Lopez reported that Garcia was last seen drinking with a friend, only identified as “Raul,” beside a creek near the La Loma Cemetery on Aug. 7. When he failed to come home, his family asked the police for help and filed a missing person’s report.

The victim was found clad only in short pants. He had no shirt on and was barefooted. Investigators are looking for Raul to shed light on what happened to Garcia.

On Aug. 8, Police Officer 3 Rodel Benitez said Ronald Vazquez, 34, jumped into the floodwaters at the Quiapo-Recto underpass beside the Isetann Shopping Center at around 5:30 p.m.

His wife, Jocelyn, said she fetched her husband from a drinking session with his friends. They were walking home to Oroquieta street when he boasted that he was a good swimmer and jumped into the water. He failed to surface.

Jocelyn sought help from bystanders to rescue her husband. They rushed him to the Fabella Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival at around 5:55 p.m.

She asked police officers to stop the investigation, saying her husband’s death was an accident.

On Aug. 7, Rico Cambri, 18, a barangay watchman, drowned when he swam in floodwaters near Malacañang Palace. His body was found the next day in Estero de Avilez in San Miguel.

His brother, Lito, 26, said he and the victim played in the rain, then went to the barangay hall and borrowed a boat. They went to Minerva street, where floodwaters were four feet deep, near the Estero de Avilez. Lito said he decided to go home because of the worsening weather, but his brother said he wanted to swim some more and would go home later.

When Cambri failed to go home, Barangay 640 Zone 65 chairman Lino Lim and barangay watchmen conducted a search and rescue operation.

Sgt. Edward Balbuena, a member of the Philippine Navy, found Cambri’s body in the Estero de Avilez. Cambri’s mother, Mary, refused to have the victim’s body autopsied, saying that what happened to her son was an accident.