High Pinay

I received a comment the other day from a certain Joel De Lima on my blog post where I featured Carlene Aguilar as the first Miss Earth Philippines Winner.

His comment went like this: what is the cause for being a Miss Earth candidate, when they let clariza de lima died, and do nothing.

Because I didn’t know anything about what he is talking about, I tried to google search the name Clariza De Lima..

And here is a summary of the report I’ve read, sent by Joel de Lima (the elder brother) to Women’s Desk (another website concerned in helping women fight for their rights)

During the Miss Earth 2007 pageant, a tourist bus under Isarog Line Express carrying the delegates of the beauty pageant accidentally ran over the 19-year-old daughter of a farmer in Sto. Tomas, Batangas last October 25 , 2007 around 10:30 pm while on its way to Camarines Sur.

The victim, Clariza de Lima, slipped into a coma and died nine hours after the incident due to the severity of her injuries.

Concerned citizens immediately flagged down a passing jeepney to bring de Lima to St. Cabrini Hospital in Barangay Dos, also in Sto. Tomas town.

Police said they escorted the two buses to the municipal police station around 11 p.m. where Peñaflorida, the bus driver was held in custody. The Miss Earth delegates were not allowed to disembark the buses at that time. An official of Carousel Productions, which organized the beauty tilt, said the delegates were asleep when the accident happened.

“We were asleep when it happened. We were not aware. We just found out because we were brought to the police station,” Peachy Veneracion, Carousel vice-president for external relations, said.

A desk officer said the two buses left without Peñaflorida less than an hour after arrival. She said the two female officers of the Police Security and Protection Office who were escorting the Miss Earth contestants wanted to leave in a hurry “because some of the delegates were already asking questions about what happened.”

Mr. De Lima, the victims father said he wanted to sue the owners of the bus company after his daughter died. He added, however, that he changed his mind because he wanted to give Clariza a decent burial.

That is why he accepted the P130, 000 offered by Mr. Steve Cu (owner of Isarog Lines)

A note on the police blotter on the settlement, which was signed on October 26, 2007 at 9:30 a.m., reads: “The father of said pedestrian victim and owner of said Mitsubishi Fuso bus affixed their signature below to testify among others that the father of said pedestrian victim is no longer interested to file criminal or civil complaint against to the driver and owner of said Mitsubishi Fuso bus.” Signatories were Jaime de Lima, Steve Cu, Dante Penaflorida, Renato Soriano and Carlos Santos.”

With the money, de Lima paid P12,000 to the hospital, P35,000 for a burial plot in Paete, Laguna; and P42,000 for the wake and burial.

And now, almost a year after, understandably the heart aches and anger are still not healed.

And maybe that is why Joel De Lima (the brother) is still asking for justice to what happened to her sister and I also read some messages he sent to some sites just last month, he said:

Miss Earth and Carousel Prod. Did Not Do Anything and Let Clariza de Lima DIED.

I dont want money or to put someone in jail, What i Want is for the Carousel Prod. and Miss Earth to give a public apology to my family for doing nothing, and let my sister Clariza de Lima DIED.

What is the cause for being a Miss Earth candidate?

They just left Clariza de Lima dying and do NOTHING.

To Mr. De Lima, honestly I didn’t understand some of the points you are trying to raise. But I just hope Carousel Production can hear your request and grant you the public apology, if as you’ve said, it is the only thing you want.

For the meantime, my readers and I will just pray for your family and for your sister.