CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — What was supposed to be a sweet and romantic Valentine’s Day celebration ended up in a tragic and heartbreaking death for a senior citizen couple who were killed after being struck by a delivery van along Cebu South Road Properties (SRP) on Saturday evening, February 14.
The victims were identified as 67-year-old Salvador Geraldizo Jr. and his 68-year-old wife Cecilia Geraldizo. Both are residents of Barangay Sawang Calero in Cebu City.
The Freeman learned that the Geraldizo couple was having a Valentine’s date with their children at a renowned food outlet in the area.
After their family dinner, the couple decided to take a walk by themselves toward a popular coastal township located across from where they had eaten.
At around 7 p.m., when the couple was on their way back to the fast-food outlet where their children were waiting, they tried to cross the road through the center island.
However, while they were crossing, a delivery van struck them and then ran them over.
The van driver, identified as 38-year-old Charlie Sabellano, a native of Borbon town in Cebu, was traversing northbound while occupying the middle lane. His aluminum van was loaded with bundles of “ukay-ukay” or surplus items. With him were his two truck helpers who were also settled in the front seat.
According to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) – Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU), the driver struck and ran the two pedestrians over. Due to the impact, the couple were thrown into the road pavement.
Salvador died on the spot after sustaining fatal injuries with blood spilling on the ground, while his wife Cecilia, who was in critical condition, was rushed by the responding ambulance to the Cebu City Medical Center where she was, however, later declared dead on arrival.
Before the incident, the victims’ daughter and son-in-law were wondering why it took the couple so long to return. When they saw the heavy traffic, they immediately went to it, and there they positively learned that their parents had been in an accident.
Subsequently, the responding police officers arrested Sabellano and brought him to the TEU office. He was immediately examined for the mandatory liquor and drug tests, but the results came out negative.
The suspect is currently detained under police custody, pending the filing of charges against him. He will be charged with Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Double Homicide.
The Freeman’s report of the incident on social media yesterday (February 15) sparked comments and reactions among netizens about the realities and lapses concerning road safety.
One netizen, Erica Jahn, called for prioritizing the construction of walkways and footbridges that pedestrians can safely cross through, pointing out that there are none of such along the SRP, which is an expressway.
“Drivers already struggle with traffic because of poorly designed roads and narrow highways that lack pedestrian walkways. Please prioritize building walkways and accessible footbridges with ramps, lighting, and protective barriers to keep people safe,” she commented.
Additionally, Harriet Torreon urged the government for urgent action with proper enforcement of road safety policies, noting the shared struggles between motorists and pedestrians.
“Pila pa man ka kinabuhi makalas oy before ninyo ni aksyunan? The reason why patuyang ra na ang mga tao is because wala’y manakop. Please, please do something about this,” Torreon wrote in a comment.
“Isip pedestrian, gikapoy nami having to fight for our lives every time we cross the street. And isip driver, hasol kaayo nga kami ma-blame if makaligis mi’g tao nga magpataka’g labang. [I] hope the government can do something about this,” she added.
| Written by Nicholas Jon Malaga
