Witnesses lament 'late' response to Tagaytay mishap

MANILA, Philippines — Two witnesses in the recent road mishap in Tagaytay that took that lives of six people claimed that there was no immediate response from authorities at the site.

The witnesses who took to social media denied the statement of Cavite police director Senior Superintendent Eliseo Cruz who said cops rushed to the site of the accident.

"Elements the Silang Police Community Precinct, who were first on the scene, together with officials of Barangay San Jose and the Tagaytay rescue team tried to rescue the passengers but the car exploded," Cruz said in a report by the STAR.

A certain Den Castillo wrote on her Facebook account, however, that authorities and bystanders did not respond at once when the accident occurred, leading to the death of the victims.

"We noticed a car burning on the side of the road which happened to crash on a tree. Walang tao sa daan so mapapansin talaga. Amusing at first dahil parang sa pelikula until my friends and siblings (we were six in total) noticed that there was someone inside the car," Castillo wrote.

"May tao pa sa loob ng umaapoy na kotse and she was still trying to move her head out of the window. And this scenario got us alarmed because NO ONE WAS IN THE AREA TRYING TO AT LEAST EASE OUT THE FIRE," she said.

Castillo noted that the victims could have been rescued if authorities reached the location right away. She also lamented that bystanders did not have any sense of urgency.

"It was saddening 'cause kung hindi pa kami bumaba at nag-command sa mga tao parang walang kikilos, but then I saw a group of men sa may gilid ng Starbucks setting up a hose (this one mahaba na pero maliit, 'yung pandilig lang ng halaman) I shouted, ‘Kuya, double time tayo!" Castillo said.

In her post, Castillo said one of the witnesses was a nurse who tried to help but was mobbed by the bystanders telling her she should have waited for authorities.

Princess Jeline Hernandez Domingo, another witness, shared Castillo's views.

"Five minutes palang nandoon na mga police akala ko may magagawa sila bago palang magka-apoy at masunog 'yung car hindi nila nagawang i-rescue 'yung mga victim. Kung maaga lang ang rescue siguro may nabuhay pa sa mga passengers sana sa mga rescue sa Pinas agad dumating, hindi po police lang," Domingo said.

"We should be responsible for our safety and to your passengers and sa rescue dapat may gawin sila agad at may paramedics. Sana agad, hindi police. Sila nakakaalam sa mga contacts sa lugar nila," she added.

Six minors were killed after being trapped in a vehicle that burst into flames on Sunday morning. The red Toyota Vios with license plate AHA 5287 was afire after hitting a concrete barrier and several trees along the highway in Tagaytay City due to alleged overspeeding.

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