GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/03 Sept.) – Five of the 14 fatalities in the bomb attack at a night market in Davao City on Friday night were from South Cotabato province.
Four of the victims were previously residents of South Cotabato who have already relocated while one was a student enrolled at a college in Davao City.
They were Melanie Faith and and Deniel Josh Larida, Evelyn Concemino-Sobrecary, Senior Police Officer 1 Jay Adremesin and Kristel Decolongon.
Relatives of mother-and-son victims Melanie Faith and and Deniel Josh confirmed to radio station Brigada News FM in Koronadal City that the two were formerly residents of Barangay Guinsang-an in Sto. Nino town.
The 14-year-old Deniel Josh and his mother were at a portion of the massage area of the night market along Roxas boulevard when the explosion occurred before 11 p.m.
His father Dennis, who was just a few meters from them, was spared but was among the 71 people listed as injured in the blast.
Concemino-Sobrecary originally hailed from Barangay General Paulino Santos in Koronadal City but moved to Davao following her marriage to a police officer.
Adremesin, who is a member of the aviation police unit assigned at the Davao City International Airport, was from San Gabriel, Bo. 7 in Norala, South Cotabato.
Decolongon, who is a second year Pharmacy student at the San Pedro College, was from Barangay Libertad in Surallan town.
SPO1 Adremesin’s wife Ellen said they went to the night market on Friday to spend their “family night” there.
She said they were with their only child, house helper and her husband’s co-worker.
“He (SPO1 Adremesin) cooked for us that night and later convinced us to go to the night market as he will be getting a massage,” she said in an interview over Brigada News FM.
Ellen said she had just brought their child and house helper to a nearby food stall when the bomb exploded at a portion where her husband was having his massage.
Meantime, Barangay Councilor Arnold Decolongon of Libertad, Surallah said Kristel’s parents immediately went to Davao City early Saturday.
He said his 17-year-old niece was among those seriously injured in the blast and rushed to a hospital but later died while undergoing a major operation.
Kristel’s family brought her remains at around 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rest Heaven Funeral Home in Barangay New Iloilo in Tantangan, South Cotabato. (MindaNews)