By Mia E. Abellana
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
In A hurry to get home to his convent, a parish priest drowned while trying to cross a river in Tabogon, Cebu last Thursday night.
The body of Rev. Fr. Antonio Damalerio, 51, the town’s parish priest, was found early yesterday morning about two kilometers from where he was last seen.
Damalerio was with two companions and just came from Barangay Canao-canao for a religious meeting.
About 9 p.m., Damalerio and his altar boy John Rey Compra and secretary Joel Figuracion, 22, decided to go home to Barangay Poblacion some 10 kilometers away.
According to Tabogon Mayor Roy Ornopia, residents tried to warn Damalerio because the river’s spillway in Barangay Labangon was overflowing after heavy rains Thursday night.
He asked Figuracion to see for himself if it was safe to pass the spillway. Figuracion also reportedly asked Damalerio not to cross the river.
But the priest pushed his multicab forward. He was in a hurry because he reportedly forgot to lock his room in the rectory.
The strong current was too much for the multicab, which was washed away.
Compra and Figu-racion jumped out of the multicab and swam to shore. Figuracion held Damalerio’s hand, but it slipped because the current was too strong.
He told police Dama-lerio, who was bigger than him, was too heavy.
Damalerio’s body was found by a rescue team comprising tanods and policemen some two kilometers away from the spillway.
The multicab remained within the vicinity of the spillway, some 20 meters away.
PO1 Ronnie Alivio of the Tabogon Police Station said Damalerio had slight scratches and wounds on his body, which is believed to have been caused by rocks in the river.
Ornopia ordered Damalerio’s body brought to a hospital for examination.
Before he was assigned in Tabogon about a year ago, Damalerio served in Alang-alang, Mandaue City.
He hails from Bara-ngay Sta. Cruz in Calape, Bohol.
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