The Philippine Coast Guard retrieves the body of a man who was aboard a jeepney that was swept away by floodwaters in the Paninsingin River in Barangay Colongan in Rosario, Batangas, October 5, 2026. Handout/Philippine Coast Guard-Southern Tagalog District
ROSARIO, Batangas — Search and rescue teams recovered on Monday morning the body of a 44-year-old man who was aboard and owned the jeepney swept away by floodwaters while crossing a spillway along the Paninsingin River in Barangay Colongan, Rosario, Batangas, on Saturday afternoon.
Paul Angelo de Castro, head of the Rosario Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), said Rene Lecitona's body was found at around 8:30 a.m. Monday, lodged between large rocks about 950 meters from the spillway.
On Sunday morning, rescuers recovered the body of Rene's wife, Maricel, about 1.2 kilometers from the spillway.
READ: Jeepney carrying 14 swept away by floodwaters Batangas
READ: Woman found dead after jeep gets swept by flood in Batangas spillway
Their daughter, Myka Lecitona, struggled to stay strong as she mourned the loss of both her parents.
"Dalawa po silang nawala. Hindi po namin matanggap kasi si papa po, nagpapagamot nga sa high blood tapos malulunod lang po, sobrang hirap," Myka said.
According to their companions, Rene had first managed to save one of his children before returning to help his wife, who could not swim. But both were eventually swept away by the strong current.
The couple's jeepney came from Taysan, Batangas, and was headed to a poultry farm in Barangay Colongan with 12 other people to haul chickens.
The jeepney driver, who uses the alias Jay, said he initially stopped after seeing strong floodwaters rushing across the spillway.
He said they saw a tricycle apparently cross the area, prompting Rene to instruct him to continue.
According to Jay, they did not know that the tricycle had actually come from a different road and had not crossed the same spillway.
"Sinabi ko na hindi kaya tapos sabi niya, yung traysikel nga nakatawid ito pa kayang jeep. 'Sige, ideretso mo, gumitna ka lang, 'wag kang gigilid.' Ginawa ko, diniretso ko bilang amo ko siya eh," Jay said.
But when they reached the middle of the spillway, water began rushing into the jeepney.
Jay said he tried to accelerate to get across, but the jeepney's tires lost their grip as the current pushed the vehicle.
"Pinilit ko pa rin, binilisan ko yun silinyador… Dahan-dahan kami ibinagsak. Pagbagsak, 'yun na. Dalawang ikot kami sa loob ng jeep. Paikot-ikot kami," he recalled. "Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang nangyari."
Jay said he regretted following his employer's instruction to cross the spillway.
BRIDGE EYED AFTER TRAGEDY
Rosario Mayor Leovy Morpe said the municipal government had long been seeking funding to build a bridge over the river.
Following the incident, Morpe said the Batangas provincial government had committed to funding the bridge next year.
"By next year 'yan, mayayari na, local fund na 'yan ng probinsya. Tulay na ang gagawin, unlike doon sa other bridge na pwede siyang box culvert. Pero ito sa tingin namin ay hindi puwde ang box culvert kaya medya malaking pondo ang kailangan," Morpe said.
He said they opted for a bridge instead of a box culvert because of the river's conditions and the amount of water that passes through the area.
The three other people injured in the incident have already been discharged from the hospital.
The bodies of Rene and Maricel will be brought to Los Baños, Laguna, where they will be waked.
Jay is also expected to be released from the custody of Rosario Police after the victims' family said it has no plans to file a complaint against him.