DAVAO CITY — A biker was killed while two joggers were injured when boulders started to erode from still unfinished Mandug-Acacia bypass road in Sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Mandug here at about 6:45 on Tuesday morning March 23, 2021.
The incident happened in an area being developed for the Mandug-Acacia bypass road, it is left open and a good site for biking and jogging but dangerous because the benching of the mountain is not properly done and vulnerable to landslides due to loose tracks.
Barangay Mandug is located 14 kilometers in the Northern part of Davao City which is about an hour ride from Davao City Hall.
City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) Chief P/Col. Alfredo Baluran identified the fatality as Harvey Mark Panes, who, based on his driver’s license , is a resident of Poblacion Trento, Agusan del Sur.
Baluran described “Panes was still on top of his damaged bike when he was retrieved at around 12:05 in the afternoon”.
While those injured were identified as Micah dela Cruz, 15 and Ricardo Yambao 32 who are now confined at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).
“Only three people were hit by boulders , one fatality and two injured and the reported motorbike rider who had a back-ride was able to traverse before the boulders covered the road,” Baluran told Newsline.ph
The area does not have a warning device to caution pedestrians not to cross nor a security personnel to guard the place.
Based on the physical attributes of the soil, the benching of the mountain is so sharp and no mitigating measure is in place leaving the tap soil vulnerable to landslides.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
