Raps eyed vs Sibulan property owner as bodies of 2 buried treasure hunters recovered
Rescuers from Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Army Reserve Command measure the depth of the pit on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, where the treasure hunters are buried. (File photo/ Alex Pal, Inquirer Visayas)
With two of the three bodies of the treasure hunters buried in the Sibulan tunnel collapse recovered, authorities are considering filing charges against the the property owner of the collapsed tunnel in Barangay Booc-booc, Sibulan town, Negros Oriental.
The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) said that they would be waiting for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) move to file a case against the property owner Cristina Singh.
Senior Superintendent Raul Tacaca, director of NOPPO, said that Singh might face charges for the death of three treasure hunters that she hired to dig for treasures in her property.
“Definitely she (Singh) will have to be responsible for the deaths,” said Tacaca who was in Cebu City on Friday, January 4, for the New Year Call at the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).
According to the police and Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources (PENRO) investigations, Singh promised the victims that if they would find any treasure, they could keep 75 percent of the find.
Police Inspector Mariela Mira, officer-in-charge of the Sibulan Police Station, told Cebu daily News Digital that the Sibulan local government were also considering to file charges against Singh.
“The Mayor (Jose Abiera) have already expressed his desire to file charges against Singh.
He said he would be coordinating with the DENR.
Around 5:30 p.m. of Thursday, January 3, rescuers have found the body of Algie Javier of Bacong town.
Eight hours later, the torso of Bobby Baldado of Valencia town was also recovered.
It was around 2:30 am today when the head of Baldado was recovered.
The body of Feliciano Insilay has yet to be found.
Mira said that the retrieval operations would continue today (January 4), but it could be paused if the rain would continue to pour.
“We cannot risk our rescuers. The water level has risen in the tunnel and it can be very dangerous,” said Mira.
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