Cebu City Vet’s probe on New Year’s Day tragedy: Richard the Horse is innocent

Richard the Horse

Richard the Horse,  also identified as Bayo, should not be blamed for the death of a jeepney passenger after the tartanilla (cart) it was pulling was involved in a freak accident last Tuesday, New Year’s Day (January 1).

This was the official finding of the Division of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) of the Cebu City government on the investigation they made on the New Year’s Day tragedy in C. Padilla Street, Barangay Mambaling that claimed the life of 27-year-old Jerry Bacalso. 

Citing their report, City Veterinarian, Dr. Alice Utlang, told Cebu Daily News Digital over Messenger chat that Richard or Bayo showed no signs of hysteria, contrary to earlier reports that it went ‘wild’ that led to the collision of the tartanilla and a public utility jeepney (PUJ). 

Utlang also said the horse only received a bruise on its knee. 

“Ang multicab (jeepney) maoy ni counterflow. Ang multicab ang ni bangga maong na kuratan ang kabayo. (It was the multicab that counterflowed. The multicab hit the the horse that why it got scared),” said Utlang. 

“We already applied antiseptic around his bruise, and provided him vitamins,” she added. 

Based on DVMF’s report, which was written by Dr. Wilfredo John Salvador, who was tasked to investigate the incident, the horse was in ‘favourable body condition and neither emaciated or undernourished’. 

DVMF identified the horse as Bayo. 

“A mild inflammation on the left knee can be recognized with the animal reactive if the area is palpated. An area on the knee as well is bruised on its anterior surface which may have resulted from the animal falling on its knees. A very slight deviation of its gait has been observed with the animal’s reluctance to bear weight on its left forelimb. No other abnormalities have been observed,” the report stated. 

Utlang said they would send the report to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) for further recommendations. 

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), in a separate interview, said they had yet to receive a copy of DVMF’s report. 

The CCTO is also conducting its own investigation on the matter. 

“We have not yet come up with our findings, but we will see. We are also yet to receive DVMF’s report. We are in close coordination with their (DVMF) office,” said Francisco Ouano, operations chief of CCTO.

The drivers of the tartanilla and jeepney were identified as Celocia Esteban and Christopher Aleson respectively. Both are currently detained in the Mambaling Police Station pending the results of the investigations. /dbs