Graduating MedTech student is latest fatality in Ceres Bus tragedy

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Timothy James Quiachon, 33, dreamed of becoming a doctor, the first one in his family.

But that dream was cut short after Quiachon, a resident of Poblacion, Laua-an, Antique, expired while undergoing treatment at the Iloilo Mission Hospital in Iloilo City.

He was declared dead at around 3 a.m. on Dec. 10, five days after the tragic Ceres Bus accident that happened at Barangay Igbucagay, Hamtic, Antique.

The 19th fatality in the bus crash, Quiachon was supposed to graduate this school year from his Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology course at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City.

Facebook user Ruzzel Arnaez Jr. said that “Pila na lang raad ka bulan graduate kana Ikaw pa by ma una nga Doctor sa pamilya. Wala na my ma hambal nga syok bul an tikaw dugo pang test.”

(It’s only months before you graduate. You could have been the first doctor in the family. No one will tell me anymore ‘I will extract blood from you for testing’.)

Arnaez added that Quiachon even invited him to attend the latter’s graduation rites.

It can be noted that of the 19 fatalities, 13 died on the scene while three were declared dead on arrival at the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital in San Jose town.

Two of the victims died the following day, Dec. 6, at Iloilo Mission Hospital and Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City.

Nine survivors remain in hospital confinement.

Three of them are in stable condition and are recuperating at ASMGH in San Jose town.

The six victims are in three different hospitals in Iloilo City. Two of whom are still in the intensive care unit (ICU).